A Host Club's Hostess
by IndigoBlueButterfly
Summary: Haruhi's cousin Daichi Kyoko has enrolled in Ouran on a semi-scholarship and she's currently living with her. What happens when she becomes the twin's newest toy? HikaruxOCxKaoru. Cover art designed by tequilateral
1. Chapter 1

**The Host Club's Hostess**

I huffed as I reached the floor and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. _A multimillion dollar school,_ I scowled._ And they couldn't even buy elevators? _You would think that a school this rich would be able to at least afford an escalator for every floor. I mean, the fountain outside looked like it was made of gold. At least gold mixed with some other fancy metal.

I sat up and looked around while I caught my breath. A huge window was open opposite me. from it, I could see the grounds and the gardens. I could see the maybe-golden fountain with the maybe-golden statue of the boy peeing out water. That thing had just been hilariously obscene to me. _Rich people are horribly eccentric, aren't they?_

Exploring the entirety of Ouran High had been a daunting, and undeniably terrible choice of how to spend the hour before my mom finished her meeting with the superintendent and dropped me at my cousin's place. As much as I loved my mom, I couldn't wait for her to go back to England and leave me in Japan with my cousin. I hadn't seen the girl in about two years, since I was fourteen.

I wasn't actually rich. I was only in Ouran as a result of the semi-scholarship I had won, which meant that my parents were allowed to pay a 45% discount on the school fees. My parents occupied the slightly upper middle class area. They earned a little more than the ordinary wage, but not enough to be considered totally affluent.

Suddenly, the sounds of loud laughter reached my ears. Curiously, I got to my feet and smoothed a hand over the skirt of my dress. I grimaced. As a sort of _goodbye-I won't see-you-for-about-a-year gift_, some lapse of judgement on my part had agreed to allow my mother to dress me up.

That had been a big mistake. My mom and I differ when it comes to clothes. I like dark colours, and dislike pink. She once tried to convince me to bleach my hair strawberry blonde with her at the salon she frequents in England.

Anyway, I was now wearing a white and pale blue-striped sundress with spaghetti straps. The dress had a flared skirt, and I was wearing matching blue wedge-heels. My brown-black (more black than brown) hair was tied up in two high pigtails on each side of my head. The tips of the tails stopped just above my waist.

I tossed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes, and followed the sound to a large door. _The Third Music Room…._

The laughter was definitely coming from inside. I wondered what was going on that seemed so amusing. School was over, so it couldn't be a class. Maybe it was a club! I pushed the door open, and was nearly blinded by a bright white light. A flurry of pink rose petals then hit me in the face. One even entered my mouth, and I spat it out before I could choke and die.

"Welcome!" The light cleared to reveal seven boys. Six were standing around a plush armchair, in which the seventh sat. I froze in the doorway. _Holy crap where the hell am I?_

The one in the chair suddenly whirled in front of me, and I took an inadvertent step back. He was definitely good-looking, with blonde hair, purple eyes and a pretty-boy smile. He looked foreign, definitely not Japanese. I'm going with either French or English.

"Welcome, princess!" He took my hand in his and I stared at him blankly. _Look, I have no idea who the hell you are, so could you please stop touching me?_ "What is your name?"

Apparently, he was not too well versed in the art of reading body language. "Uh…Daichi Kyoko," I replied, rather warily. Overly cheerful people sometimes scared me.

He beamed. "Ah, what a beautiful name! Almost as beautiful as its holder!" And with that, he kissed the top of my hand very gently. I blinked. _Oh…kay… _

I was not very used to being touched so casually by boys, so I was pretty stumped by this guy. He didn't seem perverted, nor did he seem disgustingly smarmy. So I just pulled my hand out of his grip, very slowly, and (when he wasn't looking, I'm not that mean) I wiped it on the back of her dress.

"Ah, tono, she isn't dressed in the school uniform!" Two identical twin boys suddenly slid between the two of us, directly in front of me. I could see the blonde one getting angry behind them.

"Is she a student here?" The other one asked, and as he did, they leaned closer as though they were scrutinising my face. Totally freaked out now, I lifted a hand and pushed them back.

"Personal space, please," I said. "I don't like having – HARUHI!?" Said girl/probably-forced crossdresser turned, just in time to be tackled by an enraged/excited/horribly confused me. I began shaking her by her shoulders the second she pulled away. "WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL I DON'T SEE YOU FOR TWO YEARS AND THEN WHEN I DO I FIND OUT YOU'RE IN A PLACE LIKE THIS AND YOU'RE DRESSED LIKE A BOY!?"

"Kyoko-chan…" she sounded dizzy. Good. She could reflect on her okama ways while she was attempting to regain equilibrium. I was not pleased. Why the hell was she wearing the boy's school uniform? I mean, I get that the female uniform sucks epically, but she even cut her hair!

_Wait, do these people have anything to do with this? _I dropped her and turned on the other members of the Host Club, my eyes gleaming scarily. "_Which one of you did this to my cousin_?"

I was so ready to murder them all if they had been doing anything to my cousin, until Haruhi placed a hand on my elbow. I looked over at her, confused. "It's not like that, Kyoko," she explained in a soothing voice. "I owe them and this was the fastest way to pay them back."

My eyes narrowed even more. "What do you owe them that you have to go around looking like a guy?"

She removed her hand from my arm and rubbed the back of her head nervously. "8 million yen…"

"WHAT THE HELL!?" I screamed, and resumed shaking her once again. "WHAT DID YOU DO, STEAL DRUGS? HOW DO YOU OWE 8 MILLION YEN?" I turned and glared viciously at the other Host club members. They sweatdropped nervously under my glare, except for a dark haired guy wearing glasses and holding a black notebook. "Someone better explain all of this to me before I explode." The twins raised their hands. I arched an eyebrow and pointed at them. "Yes, the redheaded doppelgangers."

They materialized on either side of me, one had their arm draped around my neck and the other had his arm around my waist. "Haruhi broke a vase we kept in the room…" one of them began.

The other twin continued. His voice was slightly different, but I wasn't really paying attention at that moment. "…it was really expensive and we were hoping to auction it off for charity…"

"…so Haruhi has to work to pay it all back!" They concluded simultaneously, both with wide Cheshire-cat smiles on their faces. "Right, Haruhi?"

"Unfortunately…" Haruhi muttered. I blinked, and put a hand to my head like I was getting a migraine from all of this. "Ah, Kyoko-chan, it's not so bad! Everyone here is really nice, though weird, and they treat me very well."

I was dubious, and then I took a good look at Haruhi. The last time I had seen her, she'd happy, but still seemed reserved. She had told me that she wanted to dedicate her high school life to studying, so she could become a good lawyer like her mother. I hadn't been all that happy about her choice, I had supported her because it was for a good cause.

But now, it seemed like she was really having a lot of fun with the club. So I supposed I should be happy for her, even if she was turninggirls into unintentional lesbians. This was deception on a grand scale. How were they even doing this? "How are you even doing this?" I asked.

"Ah, that would be me," the dark haired guy with glasses smirked. "I simply hacked into the school's files and changed Haruhi's gender on the database to Male."

I stared at him out of blank eyes. "You…what?" He smiled, and his glasses flashed creepily. _Note to self, do not mess with this guy. Not unless you enjoy being knocked out and being deported to Antarctica._

Someone suddenly jumped on my back from behind, and I yelped and looked over my shoulder. "Kyoya's very good at that sort of thing!" The person said. "Ah, Kyo-chii, how do you know Haru-chan?" The cutest boy I had ever seen in my life asked. Really, he had blonde hair, blue eyes, cherub cheeks, the whole works! _Ah, so cute!_

I blushed and smiled at him. "Well…Haruhi is my cousin."

"Really?" The twins asked. "Haruhi, you didn't tell us you had a cousin!" They suddenly sandwiched me between them, poking my cheeks cheerfully. "And she's so cute! We should keep her! She can be our new toy!"

"Wait what?" I struggled to get out of their hold, but they had a pretty good grip on me. "I AM NOT A TOY! HELP ME!" Suddenly, I was plucked out of their arms and placed on the ground by a good looking and super tall guy. I beamed up at him with my cutest, most grateful smile. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

"Hey, Mori, she's our toy not yours!" The twins said. I quickly placed myself next to Haruhi and away from them.

"I am not a toy," I repeated. I turned to Kyoya. "But since Haru-chan is here, then I want to be a part of it as well. I'll work and help her pay her debt off faster!"

The blonde guy blinked at me. "But, you're not wearing a school uniform. Are you even in this school?" Oh yeah, that was true. They didn't know I was transferring here. Haruhi knew, but before she could tell him, someone beat her to the punch.

The black haired guy looked up at me with a smirk. His glasses flashed sinisterly. People with glasses, you usually shouldn't mess with them. "Daichi Kyoko, age 16. She is Haruhi's cousin on her mother's side. She lived in England for the past three years, during which she participated in several vocal competitions. She is well trained in aikido, and plans to train in judo while here in Japan. She is fluent in English, Japanese and French. She will be transferring to Ouran starting next Monday and will be in 1-A with Haruhi and the twins."

He snapped the notebook shut. I just stared at him like _dude, WTF?_ How did he know all of that!? You know what, forget it. I had a feeling that was not going to be the most shocking thing I would encounter if I joined this club. _How has Haru-chan been surviving this?_

Suddenly, I was glomped again. "Then that's a great idea, Kyoko!" The blonde guy, I had to find out his name soon, beamed. "Ah, I know, you can be the host club's hostess!"

"You mean maid, right tono?" The twins asked with matching weirdo smiles on their matching faces. I glared at them.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked warily.

The black haired guy smiled, and that smile, you could tell that messing with him would end up with your dead body being discovered months later in the Arctic circle. "It would be your job to serve guests snacks and such."

"But I don't want to be a maid," I shook my head frantically.

He went in for the kill. "Something like that would definitely help out your cousin a lot."

I grimaced at the thought of serving a bunch of spoiled rich kids, and then I nodded with a defeated sigh. "Fine…"

"Yay!" The cute little boy hair leaped into my arms. He was so cute! I immediately melted. "Kyo-chii's gonna be part of our club! Isn't that great Takashi?" The tall guy nodded his agreement.

The twins sandwiched me again. "Kyo-chii is so cute!" The one on the left pinched my cheek.

"She's definitely going to become our newest toy!" The other one beamed brightly while repeatedly poking my other cheek. "Isn't that great, Kyo-chii?"

I groaned. Something told me that this was going to be a strange, somewhat fun and exciting experience. "Ugh, fine…but I absolutely refuse to cosplay!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews! Also, I forgot to say it before, but I don't own OHSHC. I wish I did though. I also wish I owned a set of Cheshire Hitachiins but my life isn't that amazing yet. **

**Be Careful With Physical Examinations**

My face showed my obvious irritation. "I thought I made it clear that I wasn't going to do any cosplays!?" I yelled at the twins. I was dressed in a light fuchsia pink yukata. The dress went down to my ankles and was tied at the waist with a wide blue ribbon. My hair had been tied up into a side bun and pinned with a few cherry blossoms.

It wasn't even funny how they got me into it. I won't go into details, but it involved kidnapping and bribery. Basically they offered me a gourmet strawberry cheesecake…and who am I to pass that kind of deal up? You can pretty much get me do anything if you offer me food, like with Haruhi and ootoro. I don't know if it's a Daichi/Fujioka thing, but that's the way we are.

Anyway, I had agreed to wear the dress like this for the duration of the club, even though I was not happy with it at all.

On a side note, the school's uniform for the girls was hideous. I looked like a duck! So I had redone mine by donning the boy's blazer over a white shirt and worn a black, pleated skirt, knee high socks and black flats to go with it. I looked so much better in that. _Maybe I should ask the school to change the uniforms to that…_

I reached up to touch my hair, and my hand was pulled away by one of the twins. "No, you'll ruin the arrangement!" Like my head was some sort of flower vase.

They were both dressed like waiters, in black vests and trousers, white shirts and white aprons. So were Tamaki and Kyoya. Haru-chan, Mori and Honey were dressed in kimono-like outfits.

I scowled at them. "What am I, a doll?"

They grinned their wide, mischievous and creepy smiles. "Maybe," they said simultaneously, patting me on the shoulders. "You're our toy, remember?"

I sweatdropped and let my head flop forward in defeat. "I so did not agree to that…"

"You didn't have to…" one of them said. I really had to find a way to tell them apart. I knew their names, Hikaru and Kaoru, but I didn't know who was who. I needed to find out before I accidentally called one by the other's name

"…it just happened," the other finished.

"Accept it," they said together.

"I don't wanna!" I whined. I could imagine myself flailing my arms and legs like some irate chibi doll.

They hugged me cheerfully. "You have no choice!"

_I'm beginning to see that, _I thought to myself with an anger mark. Kyouya looked over at us. "You guys are making too much noise." I flushed and stopped flailing. Kyouya still scared me more than I cared to admit. He turned his attention to the twins. "You two, get ready," he ordered. "It's almost time to start. As for you, Kyoko, you should start setting the trays and the tables."

I pouted and, with one final glare at the twins, I marched over to the table laden with the desserts and teas. I arranged the circular pink, strawberry cakes around a smaller chocolate cake to form a sort of blossom arrangement. I actually had talent for this cake arranging/decorating thing. Back in England, one of my friend's mom ran a bakery and she and I used to help out every weekend, so I learned ways to make a simple dessert tray look even more appetizing using colour contrasts and flavours.

I smiled properly for the first time since I had entered the club, straightened and prepared to host.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Kyoko!" I looked over, an angry tick mark barely showing on my head. It had only been, what, ten minutes? I was already making plans to shoot myself in the head. _Is this was Haruhi has been going through? How is she not insane?_

Well, Haruhi had always had a higher threshold in her reactions to weird things in life. I suppose that's what happens when your father is a bisexual transvestite that works at an okama bar and treats you like his favourite childhood doll.

Tamaki beckoned to me with one finger, and I hurried over with the cart. I had noticed the girls giving me weird looks from the corner of my eyes, but I was doing a good job of ignoring them. They were probably wondering who I was and why I was here.

I reached the table, and Tamaki turned to the girl beside him with a charming smile. He asked her which of the teacups on the cart she would like her tea in, and then proceeded to rattle off a list of fancy names that all sounded like gibberish to me. Fancy gibberish, but gibberish nonetheless.

She asked if they were British antiques, and I really should have been suitably impressed, but all I could think was: _oh my gosh, it's just tea! Could you just pick a cup already?_

In the end, she didn't pick a cup because Tamaki spouted some strange line about wanting her or something like that, and then she blushed and some girls screamed somewhere and I walked away with a large sweatdrop on my head.

"Well _that_ was a waste of valuable time…" I muttered under my breath. "Maybe I should go see what Haruhi's up to."

I passed by the twin's table and, as I did, Kaoru turned and spilled a cup of scalding hot tea all over his hands. "Kaoru!" My eyes widened in stunned…you know, I'm not even quite sure what the emotion was, as Hikaru lifted his twin's burned finger to his lips and kissed it. "Geez…it's because you were looking elsewhere. All you need to look at is me."

"…Hikaru…"

_Um…okay then…_ My need to care quickly trumped my shock over the random scene of apparent twincest. I quickly walked over to where they were. "Kaoru, are you alright?" I pulled napkin out from the folded piles under my tray and began dabbing at his fingers gently. "You should be more careful, okay?"

He seemed surprised. "Uh, yeah…I'm fine Kyo-chii."

I smiled up at him. "That's good. It would be bad if you got hurt, right Hikaru?" I turned to the other twin. They both looked surprised at the fact that I was caring for one of them. Suddenly, twin smirks appeared on their faces. _Wait, why are they smirking? Oh god no…_

Hikaru cupped my cheek and pulled me closer so that our faces were mere centimetres apart. "Hey, Kyo-koi, why don't you care for me too?" He whispered seductively.

I flushed bright pink. _W-what's with the nickname and the sudden affection? _"Um, well, Kaoru's the one who's hurt…"

Suddenly, I was yanked into a different pair of arms and I found myself almost sitting on Kaoru's lap. "Don't hog her attentions Hikaru," Kaoru smirked down at me and ran a single finger over the exposed skin of my collar. "Besides, I'm the one that's hurt. Right, Kyo-chii?"

"Um, well I…"

"KYAAA!" The girls watching us started screaming. "THEY'RE FIGHTING OVER HER! SHE'S SO LUCKY! THIS IS SO AMAZING! KYAAA!"

I stared at them, and then stared at the twins. They were grinning down at me. I scowled. "Now I see why they call you two the Little Devil types."

They both proceeded to rest their cheeks on my head, sandwiching me between them. "Would you like to see more, Kyo-koi?" The twin that spoke had a deeper voice than the other, and the one that had called me Kyo-koi before had been Hikaru…

"Ahh," one of the girls looked away, jerking me out of my thoughts. I looked over at her curiously. "I can't take it anymore! It's too beautiful!" I blinked at her._ What?_

The other girl turned to her. "That's such a waste!" She whisper-yelled at her friend. "You should take it in carefully! This is a very important scene!" _Again, I'm asking…what?_

Kyoya appeared, totally out of the blue. I stared up at him in confusion. "Exactly, my guests!" His voice had lost the cool tone it'd had before, and was very…host-like. "Just like these cherry blossoms, beauty is such an ephemeral entity. It will always look different each moment of the day."

I stared at him with a blank face. _Talk about dual personalities…is this the same Kyoya I saw before? _

"And so…" he whipped out a photo album with the Hitachiin twin's faces on the cover. "I have made a photo collection that captures all these beautiful scenes that go on every day!" _Never mind, it's still Kyouya. _"By the way, while there's a version for each one of our members, if you buy them all, there is also a special price set!"

"I'll buy them!"

"All of them!"

Kyoya smirked, and then turned to me. "Kyoko, if you get this popular, we might create one for you too."

"No thank you," I replied smartly. I was starting to wonder where he got the pictures from anyway.

"You might also want to move," he said. "You're fuelling their imaginations."

I blinked, and looked down at my position. I was sitting on both the twin's laps, with my butt on Kaoru's and my legs on Hikaru's. Hikaru had an arm resting on my thighs while Kaoru had an arm around my waist. "GAH!" I tried to get off them but, like before, they had a very good grip on me. I could only blush bright pink as I tried to disengage myself from their intimate hug. It also didn't help that my brain seemed to have short-circuited.

Hey, I was not used to being so close to guys!

"Aw, Kyoko-chan is so cute!" One girl cooed.

"I wouldn't mind having an album of her!"

"I'm sure the boys wouldn't mind either!"

My blush only grew darker, until I spotted my saviour. "HARU-CHAN!" I finally managed to leap out of their arms and run towards my cousin.

She stared at me out of wide, curious eyes when I practically dived behind her, and then glanced behind me. "The twins were giving you grief, huh?" She asked sympathetically.

I nodded breathlessly, and folded my arms as I straightened up. We both looked up at the pink canopy of cherry blossoms above us. _You know, it's actually very pretty. And so peaceful too…_

"Haruhi, Kyoko." We turned and stared at the figure of Tamaki. He had his back to us. "What do you think?" He asked in his typical host manner. "Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi looked surprised to see him there. So was I. I thought he was still entertaining the girls. He must have taken a break.

He turned to face us a little bit. "A cherry blossom viewing banquet is not so bad either, right? Indeed, in our case, we're busier being loved than spreading love to others."

Haruhi and I stared at him with matching sweatdrops and expressions. "Is he sparkling?" I wondered aloud.

"Senpai…you're in 'full bloom' in many senses," Haruhi said.

He suddenly pointed at her. "Very well said!" And then he adopted a pose. "Yes, today I am blooming more proudly than anyone!" He winked at us and a tiny heart appeared near his finger. "Are you going to fall for me?"

"He is sparkling," I concluded to myself. I didn't bother answering his question. Apparently, neither did Haruhi. She looked like her opinion of him had just dropped dramatically.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my neck and pulled me against a firm surface. Someone grabbed Haruhi's wrist. "Haruhi, Kyoko!" Twin voices said in perfect sync. Would those two ever just leave me alone? Had they not caused me enough pain for the day? "Have you decided on what to take for your elective courses this semester?" Haruhi and I shook hour heads. I was new, so I still hadn't gotten an opportunity to choose yet.

"How about French Conversation?" Kaoru, at least I think it was Kaoru, suggested. His hair was parted to the right. I was going to need more data to tell them apart, I couldn't go by just their hair and voices. They could cover their hair, and when they spoke in unison their voices merged completely.

"Hmm, maybe…" Haruhi murmured. I just shrugged. I was already fluent in French, so that didn't seem like it would be much stress.

"We should just take the same courses," Hikaru said. "Because, you know, we're…"

They turned and smirked evilly in Tamaki's direction. "In the same class!"

A label appeared out of nowhere. **The Friendly Classmate Quartet. **_Where did that come from?_ I wondered. Tamaki was suddenly crouched in front of one of the cherry trees, looking depressed at what he had just witnessed.

I looked around, suddenly realizing that the club was over. _YES! THIS MEANS I CAN FREAKING CHANGE!_ And I was about to, but Hikaru still had a pretty good grip on me.

I squirmed around, only for him to lower his lips to my ear. "Stop struggling, Kyo-koi," he whispered lowly against my ear. "Unless you'll get a punishment game…"

_Uh…what's that? It sounds rather sexual…_ I blushed slightly and scowled up at the twin, just as a random burst of realization struck Tamaki in the form of lightning. I turned to see what he was doing, and saw Kyoya with a whiteboard displaying two pie charts and a box that said _Interactions with Haruhi and Kyoko_.

He tapped the chart labelled _Twins_ with a pointer. "In one day, those four people spend nine hours together on campus," he said. And then he shifted the pointer to the chart labelled _Tamaki_. "However, your interactions with Haruhi and Kyoko are limited to the one to two hour time period in this club." _Why does he have that? _I sweatdropped. "Another way to put it would be that the amount of time you actually take part of Haruhi and Kyoko's daily life is but a mere 3%."

Tamaki started screaming before Kyoya was done. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!" He suddenly grabbed my cousin and me by our shoulders. "Haruhi, Kyoko! You should not spend time with those unscrupulous twins anymore!"

"Unscrupulous?"

"I don't want to hear that from you, my lord!"

"But it's true," I pointed out with a smirk. They both stuck their tongues out at me in a very childish display of annoyance and I laughed.

"Oh yeah…" Tamaki reeled back, releasing the two of us, like he had just realized something terrible. "Oh yeah! All faults lie in the fact that Haruhi is hiding her gender as a girl from everyone!" _Didn't you make her do that in the first place?_ I wondered with a blank expression as he continued talking. "You and Kyoko need to return to your normal female student life, get surrounded by your female friends, and have a healthy student lifestyle; that is father's wish!"

Haruhi wore a confused look on her face. "And who is this 'Father'?"

"I was about to ask the same thing," I sweatdropped.

He grabbed Haruhi's shoulders and began shaking her back and forth while yelling. "Revert back! Revert back now!"

"Tamaki, you need to calm down," I said.

"There's no need to hurry," Hikaru said, he and his twin moving in perfect sync. "Besides, they'll find out in the near future."

"Remember, the day after tomorrow is the physical examination," Kaoru reminded us.

Haruhi looked confused. "Physical…examination?"

"What's that?" I asked. "Is it like a doctor's appointment for the students?"

"Sort of," Hikaru and Kaoru said together. "They just check your body measurements, weight and other basic things."

There was a sort of stunned silence as everyone stared at Haruhi, excluding Kyoya. "Oh yeah," he said nonchalantly, consulting his notebook. "It's in two days."

I glared at the Shadow King. "And you didn't warn us about this, why?"

"I didn't think it was important." _YOU DIDN'T THINK IT WAS WHAT?! …You know what, never mind._

"Then…" Haruhi lifted her index finger. "They really will find out…" she placed it against her cheek. "…that I'm a girl…" The entire host club looked stunned by this new revelation. _I wonder what's going to happen now._

* * *

oOo

* * *

Hikaru, Honey and I were watching Tamaki. The blonde had a stupid grin on his face and he was reclining on a chair. He was obviously daydreaming. "I wonder what he's thinking about," I said aloud. Haruhi wasn't here yet. She'd told me she was making a quick detour to the library, so I had to come alone and this was the scene I met.

"Looks like Tama-chan is enjoying himself!" Honey said, clinging to my back. I loved the blonde so much, so I had sort of adopted him and become his personal piggyback-ride whenever Mori wasn't there, which was rare but it still happened occasionally. Besides, Honey said that my hair smelled like berries and warm milk, which was why he usually fell asleep on my back.

"Actually, he's pretty sad in my mind," Hikaru muttered beside me. Tamaki's eyes flew open at that.

"Don't be jealous, Hikaru!" He jumped up, and the background turned to sparkles and roses. I blinked. _How does that happen? _"I knew all along that this would happen! Even without all your jealousies, I saw this result from the very beginning!" I cocked my head to the side as he twirled around so he wasn't facing us. "Yes! This anime is a school love comedy to begin with! Haruhi and I are the main characters of this love comedy!"

All I could think of after he said that was, _HE DECIMATED THE FOURTH WALL!_ Don't look at me like that, I have some slight otaku tendencies. "And what are we?" The twins asked.

Tamaki spun around and pointed at the rest of the host club. The background turned pink with hearts and the word _homo_ repeated over and over. "Obviously you two are homo side characters!" I blinked as he drew a line between him and us with a random stick. His side had pink hearts floating around him while ours was dark. "So don't cross this line."

"This is pissing us off a bit," the twins said.

"This is pissing _me _off _a lot_," I scowled.

"And besides…" Hikaru started, with a serious look on his face.

"…do you really understand, my lord?" Kaoru finished.

"If they find out that Haru-chan is a girl, she won't be able to stay at the host club anymore!" Honey said. I frowned and looked over at him. _Well, that's pretty obvious…_ I thought, but then I looked at Tamaki and it was apparent that this was the first time that had occurred to him. I sweatdropped. _He is such an idiot… _

"And if Haruhi leaves, then Kyoko will leave, right?" Kaoru looked over at me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm only here because of Haruhi," I shrugged gently so as not to disturb Honey.

"But if Haru-chan wears girl's clothing, she'd look more and more cuter!" Honey beamed.

"In junior high she walked around in girl's clothing normally," Hikaru grinned. "So she must have been popular with the guys, huh?"

"Yes, according to my investigations, she usually received a confession from someone about once every month," his gaze slid over to me. "Kyoko here lived in England during that time, and they don't do that there. However, she was very popular among guys and was asked out a lot." I scowled at him, in spite of the very red blush on my cheeks. _I know I said I wouldn't ask this, anymore, but why does he know this?_

"Ahh, then our lord won't be able to get close to them anymore," Kaoru said. Then he shrugged. "Well, we don't mind since we're in the same class they are."

Tamaki snapped out of his catatonic state. "How can that be!?"

The door opened and Haruhi stuck her head in. "Sorry I'm late!" _Where have you been? How dare you leave me alone with these people?_

Tamaki suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, he did that a lot I noticed. "Don't worry Haruhi! At tomorrow's physical examination, your secret about being a girl will be protected by us. So please stay as one of our very own princesses."

Haruhi blinked several times. "Say what?"

"I'm confused too," I carefully handed Honey to Mori and walked over to stand beside her. I gently extracted her from Tamaki's grip and folded my arms over my chest. "Would it really be so bad?"

The twin's shrugged and looked at each other. "It's true that we'd find it irritating if other guys spoke with you and Haruhi," Hikaru said.

"What is with this sudden possessive claim?" I muttered.

"Then it's settled!" Kaoru said, totally ignoring me.

A whiteboard appeared suddenly with the words _The Great Strategic Plan To Hide Haruhi's Gender! _Otherwise known as Operation _Haru-chan Is Absolutely a Guy!_ I stared at the whiteboard that the rest o the club was gathered around. _Where does this stuff come from?_ I wondered, not for the first time.

"Well then, fellow team members," Tamaki pointed to the board. "Please reconfirm your positioning in formation A for tomorrow's physical examination!"

"Yes sir!" The twins saluted.

Haruhi looked confused as to what all the fuss was about. "I see!" She said suddenly, and I looked over at her curiously. "If they find out, I won't be able to stay as a host, so I won't be able to repay my debt!"

"That's true," I nodded. "Although I bet only Kyoya is really concerned about your debt."

She nodded and then stared calculating. "The amount remaining that I have to repay is 5, 333, 332 yen…" she muttered.

"Ooh, that's still a lot," I frowned.

"Well," she shrugged. "I'll think of some other method!"

"And I'll help you," I beamed at her and looped my arm through hers. "You know I've always got your back, Haruhi!" And then we laughed together.

"Captain!" The twins yelled at Tamaki. "The target herself has no will to do this at all! And Kyoko is with her all the way!"

"What an uncooperative heroine…" he glared angrily in our direction. He pointed a finger at us. "Do you hate being a host that much?! Do you hate this club that much?!"

"Well, if I had to decide, yeah," Haruhi replied with absolutely no remorse, which drove Tamaki into an impressive-looking emo corner. "But, you really can't do anything about it if they find out I'm a girl!"

"And I'm only here because this was the only way to help of Haruhi," I shrugged and put one hand on my hip. "The second she leaves, I'm out too."

"What a way to decrease our motivation," Hikaru said.

"What we should take care of first is this lack of drive in both of them," Kaoru said.

Mori put a hand to his chin. Something flashed like lightning near his eyes. "Ootoro."

Haruhi and I froze and a picture of the delicious, gourmet fish appeared in our minds. "Oh yeah…" Tamaki said from his corner. "At our last dance party…" he turned to us with a creepy-ass smile on his face. "You didn't get to eat any, right? And Kyo-chii wasn't around at all."

"Did you know?" The twins mocked us. "Those people there never had a taste of ootoro before?"

"Oh my, what a pitiful upbringing!" Kaoru said. _That's rude, but…ootoro~~~_

"You'd be able to eat all kinds of delicious foods if you stay in this club," Honey said.

_Well, the Loli-shota said it, and he mentioned food. _I shrugged and smiled a bit. _I'm in!_ I looked over at Haruhi as she began to furiously try to deny that she wasn't in as well, but I could tell by the smiles on their faces that they weren't falling for it.

"I'm not that gluttonous of a…" she stopped. She had finally realized that her case was a lost cause. "Will I really be able to eat some?"

I laughed as the rest of the host club beamed at us with hearts floating their heads. _Great, we're in. Now, I wonder what this plan is going to be about…I wasn't paying attention when Tamaki was describing it._

oOo

"_Physical examinations shall begin now,_" the voice over the school intercom said. "_All students, please proceed to your respective nurse's office according to your dormitory._"

Haruhi looked at the twins. I was walking between them, a little behind them, while Haruhi was beside Hikaru. "What's formation A in our plan? And exactly what do you do for the physical examination at Ouran?"

"A physical examination is the same anywhere," Hikaru said, looking at her.

"It's kind of bad if there's a difference in this kind of stuff between rich people and poor people, no?" Kaoru said.

I frowned at Kaoru and put both of my hands behind my head as we walked. "I get the feeling that your definition of 'poor' is anyone who can't afford to have pure water flown in from the Swiss Alps." The twins smirked at me, but didn't say anything. "Silence means yes."

Haruhi nodded, apparently still considering Kaoru's words. "I see," she smiled as we drew up to the door. "Yeah, you're right." She opened the door.

"Welcome!" About a hundred or so male doctors were lined on one side, and an equal number of female nurses were lined on the other side. Between them was a red carpet and there were small tent-like structures behind them.

_WHAT THE HELL?! _Haruhi and I wore matching looks of stunned confusion. "Wh-what…is this?" She asked.

Hikaru walked past her like there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary going on. "Like we said, a physical examination."

"A normal one," Kaoru added, following his brother inside.

"Normal?!" Haruhi and I echoed. We followed them inside as well.

"Hitachiin brothers." The two were greeted by two nurses. "Please come over here to measure your height."

"Yes ma'am!"

I sweatdropped. "This is by far the most pretentious doctor's check up I have ever seen."

"I couldn't agree more with you, Kyoko-chan," Haruhi muttered.

"Fuijioka-sama," a nurse appeared at her elbow. "I'll be accompanying you."

"Okay…can Kyoko-chan come?" She asked.

The nurse frowned. "I realize that you are relations, but males and females cannot be checked in the same booth. Now, please come this way," she began to pull my cousin away quickly. I followed behind them at a more sedate pace, until I heard girls whispering.

"Why are Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai dressed like this? I'm sure there's an explanation." I wanted to facepalm. Honey and Mori were dressed in lab coats and wearing round glasses. Despite their disguises, it was so obvious it was them. "Let's just stay quiet."

They saw Haruhi and me staring at them and made a shushing motion with their fingers. Haruhi sweatdropped. "It's so glaringly obvious," she said aloud.

"Thos two are there in case of an emergency," Kyoya said, appearing behind us.

"And what's the point in their disguise?" I asked. "Since it's kind of obvious it's them."

Kyoya smiled at me. "Just helping us create the atmosphere," he pushed his glasses up with two fingers so that the glass gleamed like some evil genius, which might not be too far off. "Don't you think that making things look like a real plan heats things up?"

I wandered off after that, since Haruhi had companionship now. Granted it was the Shadow King himself, but if there was anyone who could prevent Haruhi-s gender being discovered, it was Kyoya. He was awesome that way. Terrifying, but awesome anyway.

Besides, I still had to find a nurse to do my physical exam.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd like to thank: Clockwork's Apprentice, Electroholic, Ezzy99 and Starz for reviewing. And now, my lovely otakus, onto the story! **

**I don't own OHSHC**

**Be Careful With Physical Examinations 2**

Somehow, while I was wandering up and down, I passed by the booth that Hikaru and Kaoru were in. It was surrounded by about a dozen fangirls. "Hitachiin-sama." I paused and turned, curious about the huge crowd. "Please come here for your chest measurements." I could practically sense the excitement of all the girls. "Please take off your clothing behind those curtains." _Ah, now I see why they're so excited._

"That won't be necessary," Hikaru said, shrugging off his uniform shirt to my surprise.

Kaoru followed suit. "Even without curtains…"

_Well then…_ I, along with more than a dozen other girls, stared at the Hitachiin brothers as they posed in all their half-naked glory. I could see why the girls were screaming. They were both pretty hot. What I didn't get was why the girls were waving handkerchiefs and practically climbing over each other in their excitement.

As I was about to turn away, they started another one of their twincest acts. "This is intolerable…" Hikaru said, his voice taking on a possessive tone. "Having others touch your body just because they're doctors…"

"What are you saying?" Kaoru smiled. "We're always playing the doctor game back at home…" he said. "…and you always played with my body to the fullest…"

_I am so not okay with this!_ I thought as the girls around me erupted into another round of squealing. But, I couldn't help think it was kind of hot. Not the twincest, because I am so against that. I mean, it's illegal pretty much everywhere!

I mean the possessive tone Hikaru got when he talked like that. I thought it was really sexy, the way his voice sounded all deep and… WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?! I shook my head several times to dislodge the thought, and something rushed past me like a miniature hurricane. Or the host club kidnapping someone. You know, the two feel kind of the same.

Before I could continue my search for a nurse, one of the twins spotted me and grabbed my hand. "Hey, Kyo-koi," Hikaru smirked down at me and yanked me closer against his bare chest. "Aren't you going to do your own physical exam?"

I blushed bright red, and felt my voice take on a breathless, shy tone. "I was just about to find a nurse to do it…"

"No need." Now Kaoru was behind me, his hands at my waist. I looked up, my head swivelling from side to side to look at the two of them. The bright red blush on my face could probably be seen by airplanes flying 2000 ft in the air. He smiled seductively. "You can do it with us."

About a thousand squeals rose up at those words. _Oh my gosh, first twincest, yaoi and now threesomes? Are these girls weird or what? _"Girls and guys can't be together!" I remembered what the nurse had said earlier with some relief. "And your fangirls might kill me."

The twins pouted at me, and then hugged me between them. "Don't worry, Kyo-chi," they murmured and smiled down at me with…wait, _tenderness!? _What sort of magical acting was this? "We'll protect you."

It got the point across. The girls started screaming something about _love triangle_ and I sank down, feeling like my soul was about to leave my body. The twins grinned above me, clearly pleased with themselves. I glared up at them darkly. "You have about three seconds to start running before I kill the two of you."

"Ah, but you wouldn't do that to your lovers," Hikaru knelt beside me.

"Right, Kyo-chi?" Kaoru knelt on my other side. As I was about to deny their claim vehemently, their attention was arrested by something else. Instead, they were crying with laughter at something behind me. Confused, I turned around, and my mouth fell open. _Is that…Tamaki-senpai? Why is he dressed like Haruhi?_ I sweatdropped. _Don't tell me, this was the plan? _

Two words: Epic. Fail.

"He really did it!" Hikaru was clutching his stomach with the force of his laughter.

Kaoru was pounding the ground with a fist and both of their eyes were squeezed shut. "Of course they'll know! Of course they'll know!"

I stared at them blankly when Tamaki began strangling Hikaru. "You two said they'd never find out this way!"

"This is just a little revenge for calling us the homo characters!" Hikaru replied between laughter. I peered into the booth behind Tamaki and saw Haruhi flopped on the ground.

"Haruhi, the plan failed," I told her.

Tamaki peeked his head in above mine. "Sorry Haruhi, they found out."

She turned and gave us her evil glare. I didn't flinch, but Tamaki reeled backwards, turned white and began to disintegrate before my eyes.

Kyoya placed a hand on Haruhi's shoulder. "He's a person that can only live in a relaxed world to begin with." Haruhi looked up at him. "Now then, Haruhi, I've arranged for a special male student doctor in another room and asked her to keep a secret."

The twins were suddenly beside me, suddenly fully dressed. "All the doctors that are here today are from Kyoya-senpai's hospital, apparently," Hikaru said. I noticed that he was usually the one to start talking before Kaoru.

They both lifted their hands. "He could've told us in the first place," Kaoru said.

Kyoya smiled. "It's the same as you two, I'm also getting a little revenge for being called a homo character!"

I let the flap of the booth go and sighed. "Yeah, I'm going to go find someone to do my exam since no one here wants to be serious right now. And _no_, I don't want to do it with you two!" I snapped when Hikaru and Kaoru opened their mouths to ask. They pouted simultaneously as I walked away.

I eventually found a nurse who finally did my exam. It only took about fifteen minutes, mostly because I didn't freak out like the rest of the girls and demand that they repeat the measurements of my waist and chest.

It was very awkward measuring my chest, especially since the nurse I had was really chatty and wouldn't stop going on about what nice breasts I had and how she had a son she wouldn't mind introducing me to. I was so glad when it was over.

As soon as I was done, I went to find the rest of the club in the Male Student Nurse's office to see how Haruhi was doing. When I got there, a shirtless Tamaki was kneeling in front of a scruffy looking man on the ground. Haruhi was only in her camisole and what I assume was Tamaki's shirt, and there was a huge crack in the wall behind the man.

I blinked, and then I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. "Alright, what the heck happened?" I glanced at the man on the ground. "Who's that?"

"We thought this man was a pervert, but it turned out he was just looking for his daughter at the wrong school," Kyoya informed me.

"We were about to kill him when we found him with Haruhi," Hikaru shrugged. "Then he explained."

"I'm glad you weren't with her, Kyo-chan," Kaoru draped an arm over my shoulder while Hikaru took my waist.

"It would be bad if any other man got to see your lovely virgin skin before us," they teased. I lifted both hands and shoved them away. I had just been half-naked in front of a super-chatty nurse. I was not in the mood for their perverted jokes.

I noticed that Tamaki looked uncharacteristically serious as he gazed at the person. "Kyoya, prepare a map with directions to the public high school in the neighbouring town for this person."

I stared at Tamaki, surprised. Kyoya smiled, like he had expected that kind of response. "Very well."

We watched the man walk down the path with cherry blossoms on either side. "You sure this is fine?" Hikaru asked.

"Because…even if they met, he's still given up on by his daughter," Kaoru pointed out.

Tamaki's face still held that seriousness from before, and a hint of sadness. "That's something for him to ascertain himself."

Haruhi and I's eyes widened. I gazed up at Tamaki with new respect. That was something that I never thought he would say. It was so uncharacteristically wise and deep that I was actually impressed by his insight, and I could tell Haruhi was as well. "Excuse me, everybody," Haruhi said. "Could you guys get out please?"

The host club turned to her with surprised looks on their faces. I didn't, because I knew my cousin too well to know that she wouldn't do what they were expecting. "Haruhi!" Tamaki looked nervous and contrite. "Are you still angry at me? Don't tell me you're going to quit the host club?!"

_Tamaki really cares about my cousin,_ I smiled to myself. Haruhi smiled at me. "I have to finish my physical examination, right?" She turned to face them. "As a male student." They started smiling, except Tamaki who looked kind of confused. "Ah," she continued. "But I'm not doing this because of the food, but because I want to repay my debt!"

Tamaki's face went red. And then he leaped and glomped her and my cousin screamed because she was still only in an undershirt and her bra and who wants to get glomped by an overly excited Tamaki? "Haruhi, you're too cute! You really just want to eat ootoro, but that part of you that's hiding this fact is…kind of awesome!"

"Please stop it! Ahh, don't touch those places!"

"TAMAKI, I WILL KILL YOU!" I yelled, fire burning in my eyes. To think that I thought he was deep!

"Give him the red card!" The twins said in unison.

"This guy's…"

"…the real pervert!"

"Look who's talking?" I screamed at them.

"Ah, you know you love us Kyo-koi!"

"Who cares, just…GET OUT!" Haruhi yelled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone, I wanna say thank you for all the reviews I've gotten, and the criticism too. I'm going to work hard to make this story better, okay? Thank you and enjoy the chapter!**

**I do not own OHSHC, because I am not that epic. **

**More Madness**

First it was the kimono-like dress, and now they had somehow coerced me into wearing an _actual_ kimono. I couldn't go on like this.

My kimono was pale pink, and it tied with a darker blue bo-sash around my waist that matched my eyes. It went down to my ankles. My hair was out of its usual pigtails and it braided into a single, long braid that had been woven with blue flowers and hung over one shoulder.

I scowled at my image in the reflective surface of the window. If not for Haruhi, I would never subject myself to this. Not the cosplaying, because that wasn't so bad once you got used to it.

"Tamaki-kun, why are you so beautiful?"

"So that I can stay in your eyes every second I can."

"Why is your voice so mellow?"

"So that my feelings can reach the depths of your heart."

"Why are you looking at me with such watery eyes?"

"So that your fresh smiling face may flood the fountain of my heart!"

_Oh brother, _I rolled my eyes as they began to squeal and fangirl over him. Yeah, it was that. I really didn't understand how I hadn't lost a bunch of brain cells listening to that sort of mindless crap every day for about two hours at a stretch.

I pushed a strand of my hair out of my eyes and turned away from Tamaki and his customers. I pushed the teacart in front of me and trailed round the room for a few seconds, refilling teacups and serving cakes until I caught sight of a pair of auburn haired twin devils that I had been trying to avoid since the scene before. This was made very difficult by the fact that we were all in the same class.

They were entertaining two girls. I noticed that their kimonos were loose, so I could see a little of their chests. My mind flashed back to the exam when they had taken off their shirts and pretty much cornered me between themselves. I flushed darkly and turned away. "Ah, you two did wear the same kimonos after all!"

"All the kimonos you see today were designed by our mother," I heard Hikaru say. I was getting better at telling them apart, if only by their voices and their hair parts. "If you wish, we're taking orders right now."

Kaoru smiled at the girls. "Our grandmother was the one who put them on for us, though."

_I'm also getting far too used to their brotherly-love acts,_ I thought with a sweatdrop as Hikaru cupped his twin's chin and pulled his face closer to his. "And of course, it's my duty to take them off, right Kaoru?"

"Hikaru…" he teared up slightly. I gazed at Kaoru blankly. _He freaking teared up. It's adorable, but also a very weird_. "Saying that in front of everyone…makes me embarrassed…" _It should. Good for you._ I turned away again, as the girls began to fangirl over them.

"Please let us see!" They screamed and began wriggling on their seats like they could barely contain themselves. "We must, as ladies!" _No, you must as high-class female perverts._

I facepalmed, and Haruhi folded her arm beside me. "Fooling around again…"

"Tell me about it," I muttered back, and then I was casually bumped away by two Haruhi fangirls.

"Haruhi-kun! Your kimono look is cute too!" The first one squealed as I picked myself up and glared at their backs.

"You look just like a girl!" The other one beamed. _Maybe because she _is_ a girl, _I wondered how people hadn't figured it out by now that Haruhi was actually a girl, I mean, it was a bit obvious. Or maybe it was only obvious to me because I already knew her.

"Haruhi, you've got designations." We looked over at Kyouya. He was kneeling on a tatami mat beside a beautifully painted screen, and writing something in his notebook. "Lately your flow of designations has become steady hasn't it? Keep it up," he looked over at us with a smile. "And with Kyoko helping you, you're repaying your debt back faster. I don't intend on asking the two of you for the interest that was supposed to be included also, so work hard to make the money."

"You don't intend on asking us for interest?" I said, more to myself than anyone else. "Is this Kyouya-senpai's way of saying that he likes us?"

"Who knows?" Haruhi replied, overhearing what I had said.

The background behind him suddenly had roses and sparkles and he smiled even more. "Do not take lightly the rental fee for that kimono either, eh?"

Haruhi and I wore the same expression of blank irritation. "Never mind, Kyouya-senpai's still the same," I said.

"Kyouya-sama," the two girls turned to the dark haired host with eyes that sparkled with admiration. "Your kimono look is so wonderful! Is the new photo collection for the host club not coming out yet?"

He smiled charmingly at them, completely changing personalities once again. "Unfortunately, there are no plans for that," he said. Two heads of auburn hair poked out from behind the screen behind him, glaring at him and startling me. I immediately shifted sides so I wasn't standing so close to the screen, and therefore so close to them.

"Isn't this club getting filthy rich…" Hikaru started.

"…from our merchandise?" Kaoru finished.

Kyouya picked up some blurry looking snapshots of what I assumed were of the host club members. "Well the merchandise itself is pathetic. While we call it a photo collection, they're nothing more that photos secretly taken by amateurs," Kyouya's glasses flashed as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose. "In order for us to secure even more club funds from the academy's budget, I must develop merchandise much higher in quality."

"Hmm," I stared at Kyouya with a little admiration as the twins slowly shrank behind the screen. "He's really efficient when it comes to this sort of stuff."

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan!" I turned, and refrained from squealing. Standing in front of me was Honey-senpai dressed in a pink-ish orange and green kimono. He looked so adorable, but he was crying. WHY WAS MY LOLI-SHOTA CRYING!? And why did everyone seemed to have turned on the waterworks around here? Except Kyouya-senpai, because that would just look weird. "I lost one of my zouri!"

"Weren't you wearing them just now?" My cousin asked, coming closer to him.

"I'll help you look," I offered, and he rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"Mitsukini," Mori appeared and lifted the loli-shota's feet and slipped on the missing zouri.

Honey gazed down at his cousin out of teary eyes. "Takashi!" He jumped into his arms and the two embraced. I had to admit, that was just so beautiful and cute. I glanced at Haruhi's face and saw that she did not get it at all.

"Tear shedding acts sure are popular," she muttered as we walked past.

I nodded, following her. "How is everyone crying so easily anyway?" Suddenly, I bumped into one of the twins. "Ah, sorry!"

"It's alright," he smiled at me and draped an arm around my shoulder. I could tell by the voice that it was Kaoru. Good. If I had to be with a twin, I'd prefer if it were the lesser of the two evils. And then Hikaru appeared on my other side and wrapped an arm around my waist. _Dammit._

"We missed you, Kyo-koi!" He smiled down at me.

"Have you been avoiding us?" They asked simultaneously.

"What? No!" I denied, even though that was exactly what I had been doing.

"Mmm," they leaned closer until their faces were right in front of mine. "Are you lying to us?" Hikaru hummed.

"Because if you are…" Kaoru started.

"…you might get a punishment game," Hikaru smirked. I groaned under my breath, and then noticed something on the floor. It must have fallen out of his kimono. _Wait, are those…eyedrops? Are you freaking kidding me? _

Haruhi picked it up, and looked partly annoyed, and partly exasperated. "Are you kidding me?" She asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Well that explains so much," I murmured, folding my arms across my chest between the twins. I was glad that they had been distracted from harassing me. My brain could not handle the twin-hotness and the act of simultaneous love. I guess that's why they're so popular.

"Let me say this first," Kaoru smirked from my side. "Eyedrops are a common practice in host clubs."

"Women are suckers for tearful eyes," Hikaru grinned smugly from my other side.

Neither of us was impressed. "That sounds so cheap!" Haruhi said, and I nodded.

"Don't be so strict now!" Hikaru removed his arm over my shoulders and placed it on Haruhi's shoulders. He poked her cheek.

"Here, Haruhi," Kaoru reached for something inside his kimono: a beautifully wrapped Japanese sweet. "I'll give this to you!" He smiled at me and handed me one too. "Kyo-chan can have one as well, since she's our toy."

Haruhi and I stared at our treats. "For us?" I asked in a small voice, feeling awed at the simple beauty of the present.

"You're giving it to me?" Haruhi asked in that indirectly cute way she has of existing sometimes.

"Aw, how cute!" They chorused.

Suddenly, two girls with pink hearts surrounding them attacked my cousin. _Hey, we were having a moment here!_ "Haruhi-kun, you like Japanese sweets?"

"No, not sweet things in general…" she replied. Because _he_ is a _she_, and sooner or later all of those girls were going to find out that they had been fangirling over another girl, and their minds were going to explode and they were going to realise that they had been an indirect lesbians, and some of them may even actually become lesbians because of my cousin.

I snickered under my breath at the warped image in my mind.

"…but I thought this might be a good thing to offer on my mother's memento," she smiled. And that just made me love my cousin more, and simultaneously feel like a bad person because I was about five seconds away from eating it. I slowly slipped the sweet into my pocket, just as Tamaki swirled up to us.

"Oh, how noble of you!" He cried. I watched in amusement as he suddenly began to load my cousin up with more sweets. "Here Haruhi, take as many as you want." I snickered some more at the look on my cousin's face, and clapped along with the others.

"Are those tears fake as well?" Haruhi deadpanned.

"What are you saying?" He whirled away. "My tears are always true and authentic! A true host can always shed a tear without resorting to eyedrops!" And with that, he shed a tear. Awesome. No one else seemed to share his enthusiasm for his ability. "What do you think? Impressed? Fell for me once again?"

"Not really," Haruhi replied coolly.

Tamaki pouted and turned to me. "Have _you_ fallen for me, Kyoko-chan?" He winked at me. I sweatdropped.

"Uh…no?" I replied.

"Of course she hasn't," the twins hugged me rather possessively. "Kyo-chii loves us, right toy?"

"I am not your toy!"

`Tamaki frowned, oddly deciding not to freak out over the twins and I. "Somehow my charn doesn't work on you or Haruhi," his hand went to his chin. "Maybe I should change my character a bit…" he struck a pose, whipping his kimono around him like a cape. As he did that, Haruhi and I caught sight of someone at the door.

There was a girl, half-hidden by the doorframe, peering into the room. I nudged Hikaru gently in the side and nodded towards the door. "I think there's someone here," I said.

"Huh?" He and Kaoru looked over and spotted the girl as well. "Oh, aren't you a new face, our humble guest?" The twins called out. She only cowered back further, apparently nervous. She _should be nervous, _I thought to myself. The twins released me and slid up to the door, holding out roses to the girl.

"What's wrong? Come on in," Kaoru said, holding out his rose to her.

"Just watching is boring," Hikaru smiled.

"Come," they said together. _No, don't come. Run as fast as physically possible away from this place. Do not be sucked into this madness. Save yourself!_

Tamaki popped up, startling her. "Now then, I've always told you guys to be courteous to first-timers," he scolded them. He smiled charmingly at the girl and held out a hand. "Come, do not be afraid, princess," she cowered back further, and he only leaned closer. Talk about someone who does not understand the meaning of boundaries and personal space. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club."

Her chin lowered. "N-"

"N-?" Tamaki repeated in a seductive tone.

She suddenly shoved him away while freaking out. "NO! Don't touch me you phony!"

Everyone looked stunned by this random display of violence. Most of all, Tamaki. He staggered back to his feet, clutching his face where she had hit him."Me…a phoney?"

She pointed at him. "Yes, you're a phony! I won't believe that you are like the prince of this club!" As she was talking, Tamaki was staggering backwards in shock at her words. I guess he wasn't used to being so blatantly insulted by girls.

I sighed and folded my arms across my chest as the twins slid away from the scene and reappeared beside me again. _And thus, more craziness arrives. _

"A prince character does not spread his love so easily! Why do you look so much like a fool?" The girl was still going strong with the insults she was flinging, and she still wasn't done. I was beginning to feel sorry for Tamaki. "It's like you're just a dumb narcissist! Incompetent! Commoner! The worst!"

With every insult, an arrow displaying the word hit Tamaki. And then lightning struck him. "No!" He began to fall over in slow motion.

"Whoa, is that a new technique?" I wasn't paying attention to which twin was talking, I was just watching Tamaki defy the laws of gravity.

"Solo slow motion!"

Kyouya was staring at her with one hand on his chin and a contemplative look on his face. "Could you be…?"

Suddenly, she beamed like she had just seen something ultimately priceless. "Kyouya-sama!" She ran towards him, using Tamaki's fallen body as a springboard, and launching herself at Kyouya.

To be honest, I think she expected him to put his arms around her, or at least be happy to see her. I could have told her not to hold her breath, but I didn't. As a result, it was a really funny scene to watch. Kyouya simply stared down at her blankly while she hugged him around his chest.

"I wanted to see you so dearly…" she murmured into his chest. "…the prince just for me."

"Well this is going to be interesting to see," I stared at the two.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Fiancée?" Hikaru asked.

"Kyouya-senpai's?" Kaoru looked sceptical.

"Yes!" Renge smiled at us from the couch opposite ours. She looked much more normal when she was sitting down and not insulting Tamaki or freaking out over Kyouya. "My name is Houshakuji Renge. I shall be transferring to class 1-A starting tomorrow!"

"So, you're in our class?" I asked, and she nodded at me. I looked over at Tamaki, who was sitting in a shadowy corner and looking depressed. "Well, he seems upset."

"Because mommy hid a secret from daddy," Kaoru explained.

"Wait, what?" I looked from twin to twin. "Who's mommy?" I asked.

Kyouya spoke then, and he sounded exasperated. "Whatever you say, but do you guys really plan on establishing that husband and wife setting?"

I stared at him, and then it took a lot of self-control to not burst into loud spurts of laughter. Alright, I'll admit, I giggled a little bit, but you can't blame me! they had made Kyouya feminine! That was too funny of an offer to pass up.

Kyouya shot me one of his sinister flashing-glasses glares and I sobered up quickly. "Sorry, Kyouya-senpai."

Renge suddenly popped up in front of us, her hands at her cheeks and she had a lovesick expression on her face. She was swaying from side to side like she was hyper or something. "It was quite the love at first sight experience!" She squealed. "How he showed loving affection to flowers in the backyard that no one would look at…"

"Who is she talking about?" I cocked my head to the side and looked at my cousin.

"…And how he gently reached out his hand to the injured little kitty…"

Kyouya had never struck me as a cat person. Or maybe he could have one, one of those evil-looking, fluffy ones that bad guys in movies have.

The twins slid in front of her with matching confused expressions on their faces. "Who's this person?"

"Did you take him for the wrong person?" Haruhi asked with an innocent smile.

"No!" Renge yelled. "My eyes cannot be wrong!" She went back into her strange fantasy of what she thought Kyouya's character was like. "A person that is so nice to others and never asks for anything in return, a person who loves solidarity but is really a loner."

"No, seriously, who is she talking about?" I saw that her words had driven the twins into a confused frenzy. They had no idea who she was talking about. The person she was describing was clearly not the Kyouya we knew.

"From the love simulation game that makes your heart throb," she continued. "Ukidoki Memorial," she suddenly pointed at Kyouya with solid determination. "Ichijo Miyabi: you look exactly like him!"

There was silence for a moment while we processed her words. "What. The. Hell?" I finally asked.

"Uki?" Haruhi blinked, there was a pink backdrop of question marks behind her.

"Doki?" Honey looked confused. And then we all understood.

"Otaku!" Tamaki screamed.

"She's an otaku!" Hikaru yelled.

"This is the first time I've seen one!" Kaoru looked stunned. Actually, everyone looked stunned. Except Haruhi, Mori, Honey and I. And, of course, the Shadow King himself. He looked quite composed actually, much like he always did.

He put his hand to his chin. "I see. She's the type that goes 'moe' over a character. By setting her moe character onto me, she's fantasized to the extent of fiancée." After he said that, I kind of felt awkward because I have fantasized about a lot of anime characters. I looked over at Renge, who was running around the room. She had managed to paint the background with hearts for eyes and squealing loudly. "This Miyabi must be an eyeglass character."

"Wait, fantasize?" Tamaki came out of his depressed state to stare at Kyouya. "So this thing about her being your fiancée is…"

"I don't recall ever confirming that," Kyouya said nonchalantly. He folded his arms across his chest and appeared to think about something. "To start with, today's the first time I've met her."

I facepalmed. _Then why didn't you tell us that ages ago?_

Renge stopped running around and came to sit beside Kyouya. Her eyes were shining excitedly, like a little kid in the presence of candy. I sighed and sat down on the couch opposite them, only to be squashed on either side by the twins. I was getting too used to their constant invasion of my personal space.

"According to my report Kyouya-sama, you manage every aspect of this club, right?"

"That's right!" Honey beamed from Mori's shoulders. "Kyo-chan is the boss!"

"The boss!" She looked ecstatic. "That's so fitting of you!" The background developed pink sparkles and a rose border. _How does that even happen? _I wondered. "My dream has always been to be the mascot girl for a store!"

The twins and I stared at her blankly. "This isn't a store," I pointed out.

"We don't need one," the twins said simultaneously. "We're a host club…"

She suddenly twirled. "I have decided!" She smirked. "I shall become the manager of this host club!"

"She's not listening, is she?" I sweatdropped. The twins sighed and draped their arms across the back of the chair. I tensed a little bit at the sudden move, and then relaxed.

I overheard Kyouya asking Tamaki to be gracious and courteous to her because she was the daughter of one of the Ootori's business partners or something. Whatever the case, Tamaki didn't seem too happy with it. Renge smiled innocently. "I look forward to working with all of you!"

_Well, she seems nice enough, _I thought. _What could possibly go wrong?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi my fellow otakus and anime lovers! I don't own OHSHC.**

**In other news, HAPPY ALMOST 16th BDAY TO MY ANIME GIRL ANNA! Hope you have an awesome day and you;re happy! If you;re not happy, I'll hunt down whoever made you unhappy and hurt them! :)**

**Now story time!**

**The Hostess is a Star**

I came in a little later than usual the next morning, because I had stopped by the library to pick up a note for one of the teachers. When I finally made it to the host club, Renge had snakes in her hair, and she was chasing Honey and Mori around the room while fire burned in the background.

I watched the scene for about fifteen seconds, before wandering over to Haruhi. "Do I even want to know?" I asked.

"Probably not," she said. Haruhi held up a bag of some slightly burned, but overall not bad-looking cookies. "On another note, Renge made us some cookies."

"Ooh, chocolate chip?" Haruhi and I took a cookie each and bit into them. "It has a good odour," Haruhi pronounced. "And it's not that bad."

"Mmm, you're right," I decided, popping the cookie into my mouth and taking another one. "Renge made these? She should have used less sugar and more chocolate chips. But otherwise, it's a pretty good batch."

I didn't see the twins scheming behind us. If I had, I would have been much more wary of eating the cookies. I picked up another cookie, just as someone turned me around and gripped my chin, tilting my head up. My cookie was pulled out of my fngers and pushed between my lips.

"Mmph!" I squeaked, and then I came face to face with none other than Hikaru Hitachiin. _What is that evil twin planning? _

He smirked and leaned down, never breaking eye contact with me. "So it's good?" He whispered seductively, his lips nearing mine. "Let me see," he said, and then he slowly bit off the other end of my cookie.

My face flamed, and I backed away from him, and turned in time to see Kaoru lick some stray crumbs off Haruhi's cheek. I shoved away the worst of my embarrassment and glared furiously at Kaoru. "STEP AWAY FROM MY COUSIN YOU PERVERT!"

I wasn't the only one freaking out, Tamaki had come out of his emo corner just to panic and point and whine about us to Kyoya. I immediately calmed down because, in situations like that, I didn't want to be likened to Tamaki. We already had one drama queen (or king) and we didn't need another.

Kyouya stared at the four of us with his usual blank apathy. "And the friendly classmate quartet has appeared again."

"You know," Haruhi rubbed her cheek as she turned to Kaoru. "I can take it off myself if you tell me."

I nodded, and decided to act calm just to mess with Tamaki. "Yeah, and if you want some," I told Hikaru. "There are still more cookies in the bag."

"Y-Y-YOUR REACTION IS WRONG!" Tamaki yelled, grabbing the two of us. "THIS IS WHERE YOU SHOULD SHOW REJECTION, NOT ACT CALMLY AND LET IT GO BY!"

"Please stop your sexual harassment senpai," Haruhi said calmly.

I giggled to myself at the look on his face. "Sexual harassment? If I was sexually harassing you, then they must be evil criminals! Policeman, help!"

"Tamaki, you're taking this a bit too far," I looked at the twins sternly. "Come on, apologize to Tamaki."

"Only for you, Kyo-chii," they smirked down at me. "Sorry tono!"

"But," Hikaru started, putting a hand under my chin and lifting my face up. "It isn't sexual harassment…"

"…if you like it, right Kyo-chi?" Kaoru brought his lips near my ear.

Tamaki blew up again. "Release my daughter you vile criminals!"

"We don't want to!"

"Release her, obey your king!"

"Could someone just help me, please?" I yelled from between the twins.

"YOU GUYS ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" We all turned to stare at Renge. Said otaku looked like she was in the middle of some fangirl-rage. This could not end well. "Apart from Kyouya, none of your characters are good enough!" She pointed at us, though I wasn't sure what I had to do with anything that was going on. I was just the maid, I was not a host. "All of you hosts lack a 'shadowy' side! Fair maidens are suckers for the traumas of handsome men!"

"I hate to admit it, but she's right," I said. Look, I said I had some otaku tendencies okay?

Renge beamed at me. "See, she understands!" She schooled her features back to seriousness. "With ridiculous acts like these, it's only a matter of time before girls get tired of you! Do you all want to destroy Kyouya-sama's precious store? As the manager, I shall set new characters for all of you!"

"Wait, what?" Haruhi asked. All the other hosts wore confused, stunned expressions, except Kyouya since she wasn't going to do anything to him.

"First starting with you!" She pointed at a terrified looking Honey. "If your inside and outside are all cute then you're no different from a child! Therefore…even though you look cute, on the inside you are a vicious fiend!"

Honey screamed, apparently terrified of his own fake character, and latched tighter onto Mori. Renge turned to him.

"Morinozuka-senpai, you are an underling of your childhood friend!" Mori stared at her with a completely blank and bewildered gaze as she turned around to point at Hikaru and Kaoru. "The twins are now basketball players that close themselves off in their own world!" I laughed at their stunned and confused expressions, until she turned to me. "Kyoko is now a fair maiden caught in the throes of a love triangle between the twins."

"WAIT, WHAT?!" But she had already moved on. At that point, I stopped paying attention as the twins crowded me. "Well damn…" I mumbled.

"Don't act like you aren't pleased, Kyo-chii," they said simultaneously.

"Someone please just kill me now," I moaned and covered my face with my hands. This so-called new character…wasn't that just what I did every day at the host club?

A spotlight suddenly shone on Tamaki, making me look over at him. "The lonely prince, it fits me perfectly indeed!"

"He is so wrong," I said with a sweatdrop.

"Probably the most wrong," Haruhi agreed. But since Tamaki seemed to like the idea, we had no choice. _I wonder how this is going to play out…_

* * *

oOo

* * *

As it turned out, rich people really could afford to do the most amazing things. In this case, hire a multi-million dollar, gold-star movie director and team to come film us play our new characters in a Host Club movie.

I was staring at the massive structure that had been construced in the school just for this purpose, and sweatdropped. "How the hell is this even physically possible?" I wondered. "Doesn't the school need to give permission for this sort of stuff?"

Someone jumped on me from behind, and arms wrapped around my neck. "Ah, Kyo-chi, do you like it?" Honey beamed at me with those signature pink flowers floating around him. Wait, could his cuteness also rub off on me? That would be nice. "Renge hired them, isn't this fun?"

I smiled at him. he was so cute he just cheered me up whenever I saw him. "Ah, yeah Honey-kun, it looks like it could be fun."

"Yay!" He cheered. "Hear that Takashi? Kyo-chi likes it!"

The giant of a third year nodded and smiled down at me slightly. I smiled back. even though I spent a lot of time with the twins, Takashi and Honey had become almost like the brothers I'd never had. I'm just glad Honey wasn't my brother, because I would probably have coddled him to death by now. He is just so cute!

"Honey, Morinozuka-senpai!" Renge yelled. "I need you to come and practice with Haruhi!"

Honey jumped off my shoulders and climbed onto Takashi's. "Okay, coming! See you later, Kyo-chi!" I waved at them as they left. _Hmm, I wonder if I should go watch them practice…_

Two arms suddenly landed on my shoulders, and I jumped and looked from side to side. "Well, you looked happy," Hikaru commented from my left. There was a tone of slight jealousy to his words, but I brushed them off. I figured he was just doing his possessive seme act.

"Do you like Honey and Takashi more than you like us, Kyo-chi?" Kaoru pretended to look hurt, and he pulled off the look very well. _Aw, such a cute little uke!_

I smirked and decided to have a little fun with them, even though I knew it would definitely backfire on me sooner or later. "Aw, I'm so sorry Kaoru," I reached up and cupped his face with both hands, drawing him closer. "Don't worry, I still love you…"

His eyes widened, and his cheeks turned slightly pink. I saw his eyes flicker to someone behind me, and he smirked slightly. I blinked and found myself pulled away, into a pair of toned arms. "You're ignoring me, Kyo-koi," Hikaru frowned down at me. "Do you love him more than you love me?"

I pretended to pout and I draped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. "Of course not, Hikaru! In fact…" I leaned up so that my lips were by his ear. And then I grinned and clicked my tongue very loudly. He jumped backwards in visible shock while I cackled with laughter and took off running. "GOTCHA!"

"Oi, come back here!" They ran after me, but I could see that they were smiling.

I ran in the direction of the set, and appeared just as Renge called my name. She nodded when she saw me. "Oh, you're here Kyoko. Why are you all sweaty? You should freshen up before you get on set…"

Before she could finish speaking the twins, who apparently hadn't been able to stop in time, barrelled into me from behind and knocked me down. "Ow…" I moaned and rolled over to sit upright. The twins followed suit and rubbed the back of their heads. "That hurt!" I glared at them. "Can't the two of you be careful?"

"We're sorry, Kyo-chi." I suddenly felt something warm and wet on both cheeks. Oh my god, were they _kissing_ me? At the same time? _I get why all those fangirls love them so much…but still…_ I was not used to receiving so much attention from guys.

Renge's voice knocked me out of my thoughts. "CAMERA, CAN WE GET SHOTS OF THIS?"

"Yes boss!" Before any of us could move, there were several random series of clicks with a bunch of people who seemed to have materialize out of nowhere and were jumping in every direction to get us from all angles.

"Perfect!" Renge beamed, checking the cameras of one of the people. "I'll show these to darling Kyoya! Maybe we'll put it in the next set of albums!" Sh lifted the megaphone she was holding. "Alright, we're starting in a few minutes. Twins, you're up first! Get dressed in your costumes! Kyoko, you too!"

"But I don't feel up to it!" My voice carried back as I was picked up and transported away by those two redheaded doppelgangers. They deposited me in front of the changing room, and tossed a white bag with my name on it in after me.

"See you on set, toy!" They grinned simultaneously, and then they disappeared. I frowned after them suspiciously. _They didn't make any perverted jokes…neither did they ask to change me…what are those twins planning?_

I decided not to think too much about it, and instead I changed into my costume: a female school uniform. _What the hell, do I look like a duck?_ I stared at the unfortunately yellow item of clothing and winced. _This is so bright, I could probably use it as a traffic signal. Ugh…at least I have dark hair. _

A few minutes later, I walked out of the changing room and marched back to the set. Haruhi was the first to see me, and she snorted. My glare shut her up. Honey beamed at me. "Wow, Kyoko, you look so cute!"

"Yeah."

I blushed slightly. It was so difficult to remember that this guy was actually two years older than I was. "MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER, YOU LOOK SO SWEET!" Tamaki rushed to glomp me, but I sidestepped him quickly. That didn't seem to deter him, as he whirled back around and beamed at me happily.

In spite of myself, I smiled back. It was nice of them to pretend I actually looked nice and didn't resemble a Disney princess.

Renge smiled at me. "You look great, Kyoko. You should wear stuff like that more often!"

"Thanks," I pinched the skirt of the dress and lifted it slightly. "But I think we can all agree that stuff like this is definitely _not_ my style."

"But, we agree with Renge," Hikaru smiled at me. "You look really cute in that."

I blushed at his words, and rubbed my arm slightly. "Um…ah…thanks Hikaru."

Kaoru looked from his brother, to me, and back again, and then he grinned and grabbed us both. "We're starting soon, right Renge?"

"Oh yeah," she nodded. She made a sign to one of the people on the platform, and he turned on the hose he was holding to simulate rain. "Okay, everyone to their places! Lights, camera, action!"

_I watched from the sidelines as the twins dominated the court. There were so many other girls there, but I knew that we had each other in our hearts. It was a strange web we wove, one that spanned three hearts and not two. _

_Hikaru scored a basket, and I cheered along with the others girls. Until I saw it: Kaoru, stretched on the ground, his knee to his chest and a pained look on his face. I was numb, except for the pain in my heart. I heard the screams of and the voices crying for a nurse or a stretcher. I saw Hikaru kneel beside his brother, and clutch Kaoru's hand to his cheek and shed tears for his twin while Kaoru tried to console him._

_**Your pain is also my pain. It's okay if no one understands. As long as we have each other…**_

_I turned when I heard footsteps behind me. The twins stopped a few feet from me, breathing hard. "Kyoko, we can't wait anymore," Hikaru said._

"_Please, you have to tell us…" Kaoru stared at me, and I could see the love in his eyes that was mirrored in his twin's…that was mirrored in mine._

"_Which one of us do you love?"_

_I nearly broke then, and I reached for the two of them. Their hands were bigger than mine, but they fit like they were made for each other. We were a strange link, the three of us. "I…love you both!" I cried. "I don't want to choose between the two of you because…the truth is…I love you both equally!"_

_They looked down at me, and then at each other. They smiled at me and cupped my cheeks. "It's alright, Kyoko," Hikaru murmured against my left cheek as he hugged me slightly._

"_Because we love you too," Kaoru nuzzled my right cheek as he wrapped his arms around me as well._

"_Neither of us want to lose you. We couldn't bear life without you."_

_**We cling to each other, and doing so gives us strength. Doing so means we are not alone in this world…**_

"I am so drenched!" I whined, practically running out of the makeshift set. "Why does it have to rain?" I muttered, shaking out my hair and scowling. "I hope I don't get a cold from this…" Something landed on my head: a towel. I looked up at Takashi, and beamed. "Thanks Takashi!"

He nodded and walked off towards the set. I watched Tamaki's scene, feeling impressed. It surprised me that he was able to go from being so happy-go-lucky, to being an almost entirely different person. I frowned. Either he was a very good actor, or he was familiar with that sort of sadness…

I then watched Takashi and Honey's scene. _Wow, Honey's actually kind of scary here…_ I stared. _I can only imagine what Haruhi feels. _Suddnely, Honey lost character and burst into tears. He leaped into my cousin's arms, crying. "WAH, I'M SORRY HARU-CHAN! I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!"

"CUT!" Renge screamed. "CUT, CUT, CUT! YOU, FOLLOW THE SCRIPT ALREADY!"

"But…!" Renge had turned away and was already barking orders at other people. Affirmations of "yes boss!" filled the air while I towelled my hair dry.

"Kyo-koi, come sit with us!" I walked over to where the twins were sitting down with Kyoya behind them. He was scribbling in that black notebook of his. You know, I'm worried that thing is a bit like Death Note.

"Whatcha writing, Kyoya-senpai?" I asked, skipping over. He snapped the book shut and smirked at me. I preferred his smirks to his smiles. At least those were real, but it would be nice to see Kyoya smile for once.

"Strictly confidential," Kyoya said. I pouted and turned to wave at my cousin.

"Why did a change in our characters end up as a film shoot?" Hikaru asked.

"Because someone allowed a crazy fangirl to become our manager," I jerked my head at Tamaki who was talking to Renge. "Oh, here you go Haruhi," I handed her a dry towel I found on the chair.

"Thanks Kyoko," she smiled and began to dry her hair.

"Besides, who's idea was it to make Kaoru the seme in this thing?" Hikaru suddenly asked. Haruhi blinked at them, obviously confused.

"Seme?" She repeated.

They looked away. "Don't worry. Those who don't understand don't need to know." That just left my cousin even more confused. Kaoru looked over at me and winked. "Kyo-chi gets it, right?" Haruhi turned to me, and I turned away immediately, just as Tamaki came bouncing over.

Haruhi handed him a towel. I watched the way they interacted for a moment. Tamaki obviously cared about my cousin romantically, but I knew Haruhi: she was utterly clueless about these things. The number of guys she indirectly rejected in middle school proved that.

"Haruhi, Kyoko, could you guys come here for a moment?" Renge called.

"Okay!" Haruhi replied. The two of us walked around the building, and stared. Renge was standing with a pair suspiciously thug-like individuals, one of which had thick lips. Both wore shocked, and somewhat pissed off expressions.

"Uh…what's going on?" I asked warily.

Renge beamed cheerfully. "I've asked these gentlemen for a special appearance!" By the looks on their faces, they were as confused as we were. _Ooh, this cannot end well._ "For the climax, we'll need villains! The club members, who were all disunited, will become one when they fight a true villain!"

"Uh…Renge…" Haruhi and I could see that both of the guys were getting more and more pissed off with every word. I covered my eyes with my hands and groaned.

She rambled on heedlessly. "According to my report, they are actually sons of Japanese mafia members. This makes them the perfect villains for the story!"

"What do their parents have to do with this?" I asked.

"Now, Renge-chan…" Haruhi started, but she had started dragging them guys away.

"Saying whatever you want," the one with thick lips yanked his arm out of her grip. "Don't get so cocky!" He suddenly shoved her. It was only by quick reflexes that Haruhi managed to catch her before she hit the wall and got too badly hurt.

I turned on the guy. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IT'S ALRIGHT TO PUSH SOMEONE?" I grabbed him by his tie and yanked him down to my level so he could see the flames in my eyes. "WELL, PUNK?!"

"She started it!" The other one grabbed my arm and pushed me away so that I stumbled backwards onto the ground. A part of me snarled at myself for being such a lightweight. "And who do you think you are, getting involved with this?"

"Oi, Kyoko, I heard screams and…" I turned as Hikaru, Kaoru and Tamaki came into sight. I saw Hikaru's eyes widen, and then narrow into furious slits at seeing me on the ground. "Kyoko!"

"Haruhi!"

_**THUD!**_

_**THUD!**_

"You punks are really asking for your faces to get punched in," Hikaru growled, holding the guy that had pushed me by the scruff of his neck. Even Kaoru, the normally calm twin, looked just as angry.

"Wait, she was the one who picked on us first!"

I got to my feet and rubbed my arm. "He's talking about Renge," I said. "And in a way, that's sort of true. Still, what she did didn't give you any right to push her. You could have seriously hurt her, and my cousin."

Hikaru's grip tightened a little bit more. "So what do you want me to do to him, Kyo-koi?"

"For now, how about we just beat him up for hurting you?" Kaoru suggested.

I smiled at them. "No, it's alright. Let them go." Neither twin looked too happy, but Hikaru's rip loosened and the guys ran away.

The twins snorted. "Cowards. You should have let us beat them up."

I grinned up at the twins. "Hey, what's with this violence?" I laughed gently. "You guys don't have to be so protective."

They shook their heads, and smiled back. Why did I get the feeling that they were being sincere this time, and not doing that their simultaneous twin-love act. "Yes, we do," they said. "Because we care about you, Kyoko. We don't want you to get hurt."

They were being so sincere, I almost teared up, until I heard Renge again. "CAMERA, DID YOU GET ALL THAT?" _Well, it looks like she's fine._

I turned and ran to Haruhi. "That was great by the way," I told her, helping her to her feet. "What you did, saving Renge."

"Well, I couldn't just let her get hurt," Haruhi shrugged. She was blinking a lot, and one of her eyes looked watery. "Sorry, my contact fell out when I grabbed Renge."

_**CRASH!**_

We looked up in surprise. Kyoya had smashed a rock into the camera lens of one of the film crewmembers. What really surprised me was the look on his face. Normally he looked blank and composed, and while Renge was been around he had been more courteous towards her. Now…now he just looked angry.

It was quite terrifying. At least, it was to me. Poor Renge looked confused. That action was not in line with what she believed her Kyouta was like. "Kyouya-sama…?"

"I'm sorry, but there cannot be any record of our club members displaying violence," he said calmly. "Causing us trouble like this is extremely unpleasant. Please quit being such a pest."

_Ouch. _All of that was said with such perfect an unfeeling calm that it actually hurt _my_ feelings. Renge broke down. "No, you're supposed to pat my head and tell me and tell me not to worry!" She was crying. "A person full of affectionate love like you…why are you suddenly acting like this?"

Tamaki smiled gently. "Because that's not who Kyouya is."

I watched Renge sink to the ground, apparently overcome with that realization of how wrong she had been. _This is painful for her, _I thought to myself. _But sometimes pain is necessary, because we might not learn anyway else._

My cousin walked over to her to comfort her. "But that's okay, isn't it?" She asked, kneeling down in front of the crying girl. "Even if Kyouya-senpai was a bit different than you thought, I think it's fun to get to know people properly, and get to know them more and more as time goes on."

_Like how I'm doing with the Host Club,_ I grinned and looked up at the sky. _The more I get to know them, the more I grow to love them like family._

* * *

oOo

* * *

**Several days later…**

"I bought that video!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

That was the surprising message we received the next week from the girls who came to visit the Host Club. We all blinked simultaneously. "Say what?" I asked quietly. "What video?"

"That rain scene was the best!" One of the girls squealed.

"The prince of loneliness!"

"Hikaru-sama and Kaoru-sama's relationship was so good!"

"I loved the love triangle between the twins and Kyoko-chan!"

"I want to see more of Honey-kun's dark side!"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked sufficiently confused. "Does anyone know what they're talking about?" Kaoru asked.

Tamaki raised a hand. "Kyouya…"

Said Shadow King smiled and stopped writing in his notebook for a moment. "Yes, I got a copy of the video," he said. "I copied it, but only after editing the violent scenes out, of course. They left us only a fraction of the profits," he looked at us. "As expected of a large film company."

I sweatdropped. _He really is a Shadow King…_ And then I realised that I wouldn't want Kyouya-senapi anyway else. Being in the host club had made me realise that there were a lot of different people in the world, and just because I didn't understand them, that was no reason to form opinions what they should be like.

**Sorry, I never watched the anime to the end so I'm not quite sure what happened after. Spoiler: I do know that's when Renge decided she loved Haruhi (seriously, someone should click. She looks way too feminine to be a guy) **

**Butterfly-chan**


	6. Chapter 6

**Carnival**

_Ah, Saturdays,_ I thought to myself as Haruhi and I walked down the streets. Ranka-san had given us some money to go to the supermarket and we had just finished shopping for the week. We were distributing the load between us. I was carrying all the frozen stuff, like the sausages, the fish and the butter, while Haruhi was carrying the all the canned stuff and the bread.

_Saturdays,_ I smiled. _The one day when you're free from school. You don't have to work. You can just do whatever you want without having to deal with people you don't like but have to interact with because you decided to help out your cousin and got sucked into a weird club with twins who think you're a life-size doll._

Haruhi was dressed in a strapless pink sundress that Ranka must have bought for her, and I was wearing my favourite pair of black jean shorts and a loose white top with a black flower sketched on it. I had decided not to tie my hair up in pigtails so it was just loose. I was considering cutting it a bit shorter, it was becoming a bit of a hassle to keep neat. Not as short as Haruhi's, maybe just shoulder length.

"Hey, Kyoko!" I blinked and realised that Haruhi had stopped. I doubled back and came to stand beside her. She pointed at the poster on the wall. "Look, there's supposed to be a carnival or something tonight!"

"Ooh, that sounds like fun!" I beamed at her. "We should go!"

She nodded as well and smiled at me. "Yeah, we should. I hope dad lets us, though."

I waved a hand, and then remembered that I was holding a bag of frozen fish, and then I didn't bother. I rolled my eyes instead. "Please, we are two highly responsible young adults and it's a Saturday night! we'll be fine! What does he think will happen?"

oOo

**In a pretty mansion somewhere else…and no longer in Kyoko's POV…**

"Welcome back from your jog, Tamaki-sama."

The maids blinked when the blonde boy rushed past them and raced up the stairs without a word. Several of them shared confused stares, and then looked up at the ceiling worriedly when they heard a thump and someone shouting.

Tamaki furiously jabbed in the numbers of the Host Club members, virtually shaking with suppressed excitement. After a moment, they picked up. "MY LOYAL SUBJECTS, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?" He yelled before they could say anything. "HAS THIS COME TO YOUR ATTENTION?" Tamaki screamed into the phone he was holding in one hand. In the other, he waved the poster he had spotted on a billboard while jogging that very morning.

"Tamaki, we aren't with you currently," Kyouya sighed exasperatedly over the phone. Tamaki was just lucky it wasn't that early in the morning. "We can't actually see whatever it is you are obviously so excited about."

"A FESTIVAL!" He cried in his typical flamboyant manner. "THERE IS GOING TO BE A FESTIVAL TONIGHT! WHAT A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE COMMONER CULTURE!"

"You don't need to shout tono…" Hikaru said in a bored tone.

"...you're hurting our ears," Kaoru added with a tone of equal apathy.

"Wow, it sounds like fun!" Honey cheered cutely over the phone.

"Ah."

"Then it's settled!" Tamaki beamed. "Tonight, we shall meet here and make our way to the festival!"

oOo

**Back in Kyoko's POV**

Luckily, Ranka-san had given us permission to go. He was taking a late shift at his okama bar and he apparently didn't want us to be alone at home. Whatever the reason was, I was just glad we were allowed to go. I had never been to a festival, but I'd heard that they were fun with loads of games and stuff to eat.

I turned myself in front of the mirror, looking at myself from all sides. The yukata I was wearing had been a gift from Ranka-san when I'd first arrived. It was sky-blue, with thin white silhouettes of flowers decorating it. The sash was pink, and it matched the ribbon in the bun Ranka had tied my hair into.

Haruhi's was the same as mine, except in reverse. Her yukata was pink, with the white flowers, and her sash was blue. Her hair couldn't be tied up, but Ranka had braided a few strands and woven the ribbon into them.

"You girls look so _cute_!" He squealed after he was done. We just stared at him like _dude, calm down_. I got the feeling he had always wanted to do this, but Haruhi was like me and we were both rather non-girly. He would have put make up on us, but I pointed out that it was night and it was a festival, so it wasn't like anyone would really see it or care. He waved at us as we left. "Bye girls!"

It didn't take us long to get to the park, and when we got there, I gasped. It had been transformed, with sparkling lights and red and orange paper lamps. There were so many stalls and vendors, and the _food_! I could smell the curries and the fried squid-on-sticks and it was so overwhelming. _OH MY GOD THE_ CHOICES! I screeched in my head. _I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START!_

"Kyoko? Kyo-chan?" Haruhi poked me several times before I snapped out of my sparkle-eyed haze of confusion. "Why don't we just walk? If we see something fun, we'll try it okay?"

"Okay!" I chirped. She laughed. I loved my cousin. She knew that this was my first ever festival, so I had all right to be a bit starry-eyed and confused. Ranka-san had given us some money to spend, plus some of our own, so we were guaranteed to have a good time. "Ooh, candyfloss!" I stopped almost immediately by a stall that was selling candyfloss in every colour of the rainbow.

I came away with a bright orange fluff of candyfloss on a stick. When I turned, I met Haruhi's amused stare. "We haven't even been here five minutes!"

I grinned and took a bite. "But it's candyfloss~!" I said in a super childish voice. I held it out to her, waving it temptingly in front of her face. "You know you want some~," I teased.

Her eyes narrowed, and then she took a bite. We continued on, sharing the stick between us. I ate most of t though, because it was still mine. I let Haruhi ave the last bite, and then I threw the paper stick away. "So, where are we going next?" I asked.

"Ah, look at that, you can fish for goldfish over there!" A familiar voice squealed.

Haruhi and I froze. I tilted my head to the side dubiously. "Is that…"

"…Honey-senpai?" Haruhi finished. "If it is, then that means that…"

"Look, you can win prizes here for throwing a ball at some targets!" Simultaneous voices cheered. "Look tono, it's a giant panda!"

I suddenly became aware of the familiar fangirl-ish tone of the voices of the girls that were around. "Look, they're so handsome!"

"That one looks so cool!"

"Wow, he's like a prince!"

"Are they twins, they're so cute!"

"Prince?" Haruhi muttered.

"Twins?" I sighed. "Damn. You know what, let's just pretend like we never knew they were here," I grabbed Haruhi and turned around to leave, but then the crowd chose that moment to part a little and they saw us. And by 'they', I mean the entire Host Club of Ouran Academy. Haruhi and I froze.

"MY DAUGHTERS!" I managed to sidestep Tamaki's glomp, but Haruhi wasn't so fortunate. Tamaki wrapped his arms around her and hefted her into a massive hug. "I missed you!"

"You saw me yesterday," she said blankly, but I saw her cheeks flush slightly at how close she was to Tamaki. He had pressed her face into his chest. I snickered at the look on her face, and then felt two arms around me. I was suddenly reminded of my own problem. Or, should I say _problems_.

"Kyo-chan, you look so cute!" Kaoru pinched one cheek. He was dressed in a darker blue yukata than mine.

"Did you dress up specially for us?" Hikaru pinched my other cheek. His yukata was orange. Both had thin black sashes around their waists. Their yukatas were also a little loose so I could see a bit of their upper chests.

I blushed, but I covered it up with a frown and tried to shake their hands away. "I had no idea you guys were going to be here!" I told them. "Speaking of which, why are you guys here?"

"Because Tama-chan called us and asked us to go!" Honey waved at me from the top of Mori's shoulders. I had to crane my neck to look at him. Damn Mori is tall… "You and Haru-chan look really, really cute by the way!" He chirped. I noticed that he was eating the remains of a green candyfloss. I suddenly wanted another one.

Hey, don't look at me like that, candyfloss is delicious. It's like eating clouds made of sugar! Kyouya pushed up his glasses and sighed. "Well, since we're all together like this, why don't we all just walk around together?"

"I want to go with Haruhi!" Tamaki yelled, hugging Haruhi tighter. Her face became redder, whether from embarrassment or lack of oxygen.

"Tamaki-senpai, get off me!" She yelled.

"In that case, we want to go with Kyo-chan!" Hikaru and Kaoru yelled, squishing me between them and resting their cheeks on my head. I sweatdropped and sighed.

Honey frowned. "Wah, we want to go with Kyo-chan too!" He said. _I wouldn't mind walking around with them,_ I thought. I smiled at Honey and he beamed back. "Yay, Kyo-chan wants to walk around with us!"

The twins held me tighter between themselves. "She's our toy, not yours!" Hikaru said.

"Get your own!" Kaoru told them.

"I'm not a toy!" I reminded them, but they ignored me. "Freaking rich kids," I sighed.

"But you love us!" They smirked and pressed their noses against my cheeks. "Let's go!"

And with that, they dragged me away from the rest of the Host Club. After running around some stalls and games, they finally stopped and set me down. "Now, what do you want to do first?" Kaoru asked me. I blinked and looked around, quickly forgetting my annoyance.

"I…don't know," I told them with a shrug. "This is my first time being at a festival."

They blinked at me, and then looked at each other. "Then…" Hikaru started.

"…why don't we play some games?" Kaoru finished. They led me to a game stall. Hung from the top of the stall were fluffy toys and stuffed animals. At the back were stacks and rows of more toys, ranging from the biggest to the smallest.

The man in charge smiled when we came closer. "Step right up and win a prize! Just knock down all the cans! Winner gets to pick a prize from the top shelf!"

"Ooh, I wanna play!" I cheered. Money changed hands, and he handed me five tennis balls. I took careful aim and threw. I knocked down the first stack, part of the second stack, then all of it, and then I wasted the rest of my balls trying to knock down the rest of the third stack.

"Better luck next time," the man smiled sympathetically.

"Damn…" I huffed and turned to leave. "Well, that's it for me."

The twins looked surprised. "What do you mean?" They asked. "Don't you want a prize?"

I shrugged. "Of course I do. But I don't have enough money to play this game as many times at will probably take to knock down those five stacks."

Hikaru and Kaoru frowned at me, and then turned to each other. They seemed to be having one of those deep, inner conversations they sometimes had. Finally, they turned to the game. "Which one do you want?" They asked simultaneously.

I blinked in confusion. "The giant panda, but I don't see how…"

Hikaru slammed some money down on the counter and smirked. "We wanna play."

I stared at them in surprise. I hadn't expected the two of them to care so much over one panda. It took three tries and about $25 in all, but finally they managed to knock down all the stacks. A minute later, we were walking around the festival with my new stuffed panda clutched in my arms. The thing was about the size of my torso, maybe slightly bigger, so I had to rest my chin on the top of its head while I walked so I would be able to see in front of me.

I smiled up at the two of them. "Thank you!"

Kaoru ruffled my hair affectionately. "Aw, so cute!"

Hikaru draped an arm around my shoulders. "You're welcome Kyo-chan," he smiled.

I giggled and nuzzled my face into my new toy. Okay, so maybe hanging with them for the rest of the festival wouldn't be so bad.

"As a reward, can we visit your house on our next holiday?" They asked me.

I stopped nuzzling my new toy, and glared at them suspiciously. "Why…?"

"We're curious!"

"No."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Not even if we beg?"

"No, and that's final!" I stuck out my tongue at them. They pouted, but I managed to ignore them. "Look, they're selling candyfloss over there!"

We walked over to a vendor that was selling candyfloss, but she had less variety of colours than the first one I'd seen. I chose a blue one, while Kaoru chose green and Hikaru chose orange. When I was about to pay, Kaoru pushed my hand down firmly. "No," they smirked at me. "Tonight, we'll take care of your every need."

I frowned at them, even as my cheeks burned. "Why does that sound oddly sexual?"

They paid for me, and I took a bite of my candyfloss. _All this sugar cannot be good for me._ "Mmm, this tastes good!" I beamed.

"Really?" Hikaru asked.

"Then mind if we get a taste?"

Suddenly, their faces were close to mine, on either side of my fluffy cloud of sugar, and they each took giant bites. I jumped, and accidentally got some of the candyfloss on my face. "Ah, Kyo-koi, you're such a messy eater," Hikaru purred. His tongue licked at the sugar on my nose.

"We'll clean you up," Kaoru whispered, and his tongue brushed against my cheek where the candyfloss had landed. They pulled away after that, smirking and looking highly pleased with themselves. I was so embarrassed. My face was so red that I was probably glowing. "Mmm," Kaoru licked his lips. "You're right, it _does_ taste sweet."

"I wonder what _you_ taste like," Hikaru leaned closer to my face. "Can I taste you, Kyo-koi?"

"WHAT THE HELL!?" I burst out and yelled at them. People were staring, so I lowered my voice. "What was that for?" I lifted my panda higher up my chest in an attempt to hide my blush. My heart was beating fast and I couldn't look Hikaru in the eye. "Why do you guys always do that…?" I murmured into the fur. "Especially you Hikaru."

I saw their faces soften, much the same way it had that time when they had come to protect me from those hooligans at the set. "Because you're too adorable," Hikaru said simply, and then their eye widened in shock.

"Wait, how did you know I/he was Hikaru?!"


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm so happy that I have reviews! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favourited and pretty much just given me kudos. I love you all! Enjoy this chapter my fellow otaky and Hitachiin-lover friends!**

**I don't own Ouran High School Host Club. **

**We Start a Fight**

I cocked my head to the side and shrugged. "I don't know, I just do. You're Hikaru," I pointed to the twin on my left. "And you're Kaoru. What, people can't tell you apart?" They shook their heads slowly, no. My eyes widened in surprise. "But you guys are different! I mean, the only time you guys may be difficult to tell apart is when you talk in sync!"

"Kyoko!" I turned and spotted Haruhi pushing her way through the crowd, with an excited Tamaki in tow. He was holding her hand and kept pointing at different things. "No, Tamaki, you already bought enough snacks!"

But Haruhi-!"

I grinned and waved her over. "Hey, Haruhi, can you tell which twin is which?"

My cousin blinked, and then faced the twins. "Of course. That's Hikaru, and that's Kaoru," she pointed to the correct twin in turn.

"See?" I told them, smiling cheerfully. I ignored the stunned looks on their faces.

Hikaru took a step closer to me and his eyes narrowed. "How did you know that? What's your basis for that assumption?"

I waved a finger in their faces and smirked when he leaned back in surprise. "It's a fact, not an assumption. Kaoru is more soft-spoken than you are, and his eyes are kinder."

Haruhi nodded in agreement. "I think Hikaru's actions are one level meaner than Kaoru's. Oh, wow, that's a cute toy!" She had caught sight of my panda and changed the subject. "Where did you get it?"

I held it up proudly. "You like it? The twins got it for me. Hikaru knocked down all the stacks in one of the games and they let me pick the prize!"

A sign appeared over our heads. **Ill Intentions: Zero**. _I wonder why that's there…_

Suddenly, I heard a hissing sound, like steam escaping from a kettle. Kaoru had a hand over his mouth, and he was struggling to keep something back. His gaze slid over to Hikaru's. "S-sorry Hikaru," he said, and then he burst into peals of laughter.

Hikaru did not look pleased with his twin's apparent amusement at our deduction. "Well, I'm just being honest and saying what I want without holding anything back. Besides, Kaoru's actually the one who's more ill-natured."

Kaoru's laughter immediately stopped, and he glared at his twin. This was something I had never thought I would see: the twins were actually arguing about something. "Don't just be saying what you want. I'm the one who has to deal with your selfishness all the time."

My head went to Hikaru when he spoke again. "I may have brought this up, but you're the one who's digging a deeper hole. Don't like it? Then stop. What, are you stupid?"

"Um…guys?" I tried to say something to calm them down.

They ignored me. "That's because I can't help but see you as being dumber," Kaoru replied back harshly. "Because, even though you call Haruhi and Kyoko toys, you always flirt with Kyoko whenever you get the chance." There, Kaoru paused as though he was considering something. His tone turned thoughtful. "Hikaru…you actually like Kyoko, don't you?"

I froze, and my head snapped up to stare at Kaoru in shock. Hikaru gaped. "Huh!?" He yelled. "What are you misunderstanding here? You really are an idiot Kaoru."

Tamaki suddenly got involved. "Don't say such things about my daughter!" He was mostly ignored by the twins, and by me. My mind was still fixed on Kaoru's words. _Hikaru, you actually like Kyoko, don't you?_

Was it possible? Did Hikaru actually like me? Was that why he and Kaoru were always flirting with me? Well, I had no idea what Kaoru's part in all of this was, but he seemed to be like Hikaru's conscience and he was also the more level-headed twin. However, he and Hikaru were always together and Hikaru seemed like the dominant twin, most likely because he was the oldest.

_But, if he likes me…_

He spoke again. "Anyway, why would I like a short fox like Kyoko?" Hikaru yelled, and I felt something constrict in my chest. Was that…disappointment? Did I want Hikaru to like me? Did I like him? I didn't know. I caught Haruhi staring at me with an understanding expression on her face. I smiled slightly, and looked back at the twins, just as the ground began to shake and I heard the high-pitched laughter of someone very familiar.

"The hell?" I took a step back as a platform rose out of the ground with none other than Renge at the top.

Several festival-goers stared at Renge, and then clapped. They probably thought she was some sort of festival stunt. I used that as a distraction and quickly shoved Haruhi behind Mori and Kyouya who had appeared at that moment. "Wah!" She yelped. "What are you doing?"

"She thinks you're a girl," I hissed. "You're dressed in a pink _female _yukata and you have ribbons braided in your hair! She's gonna click, or assume you enjoy cross-dressing!"

"Oh…"

I turned around just as Renge began to speak. "A beautiful, yet painful three-sided relationship involving Kyoko! And they're twins no less!" She squealed and spun around. "Renge can eat three bowls of rice of this!"

"Get lost you otaku," the twins deadpanned, which made her pout and throw a miniature tantrum.

"Uh, Renge, didn't you leave?" I arched both my eyebrows at her.

She beamed up at me. "Oh, I did, but I came back last weekend and enrolled back into Ouran!"

"And, what made you come back from France?" Tamaki asked.

"Because when I tried founding a host club there, it wasn't really received well because the people weren't ready!" I sweatdropped and facepalmed at her cheerful, carefree attitude to everything.

"I have had it with you already!" I turned back to face the twins at the sudden outburst. They were in each other's faces now, and they both looked so furious with each other. "You're always sneaking into my bed," Hikaru yelled at Kaoru. "That's very annoying!"

"I only slept with you because you looked so helplessly lonely!" Kaoru snapped. _Bad choice of words,_ I thought, glancing at the squealing girls behind me. I guess yaoi-love must be rampant. "You idiot!"

"Who are you calling an idiot?"

"At least Kyoko likes me better!"

I glared at them. "Hey, do not bring me into this!"

They ignored me. I should be used to this by now. "I won her a teddy bear!" Hikaru yelled back.

"I'm nicer to her!" Kaoru retaliated.

"She loves me!

"No, me!"

"Kyoko!" I jumped and hid behind Mori when they spun around to face me. "Which one of us do you like more?"

"I said don't bring me into this!" I yelled from behind Mori. "I don't function well under pressure!"

"See, she doesn't like you! Erotic imp!"

"Pervert!"

"AT LEAST I'M BETTER THAN YOU! THAT'S IT, I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU ANYMORE!" I groaned and covered my face with my hands. Suddenly, a hand grabbed mine and began to drag me away from my hiding spot. Kaoru was leading me away.

"Come on Kyo-chan, let's go watch the fireworks together," he smiled at me. Another pair of hands grabbed my other arm, and yanked me in a different direction.

"No, she wants to watch it with me," Hikaru glared at his brother, and then smiled at me. "Right Kyo-koi?"

I groaned. "Can't we all just get along?" I whined. Suddenly, hands lifted me up and I was cradled by another pair of arms. I looked up at Mori and beamed. "Thanks Mori-senpai!"

"Hey, she's mine!" The twins yelled at Mori. Then they glared at each other. "No, mine! Mine! MINE!"

I surveyed my life then: twins fighting for my affections, girls watching us like we were a romantic movie, and Renge fangirling at the top of her spinning motor thing. I covered my face with my hands and wished I was at home and this was all a bad dream. Unfortunately, I got the feeling that it had only just begun.

oOo

The following Monday, I walked into school with Haruhi much as I had been doing everyday since I came to Ouran. I hoped that maybe the twins would have made up over the rest f the weekend and everything would go back to being normal.

"Do you think they're still fighting?" I asked Haruhi as we walked into school. Even though their sudden animosity towards each other had branched off into a _which-twin-does-Kyoko-love more_ argument, I was still worried about them. The twins didn't seem like they ever fought, and the fact that they were fighting now, and over something so pointless, worried me.

Haruhi shrugged and pushed open the door of our class. "Who knows? I hope they make up soon though."

I nodded my agreement and plopped my bag on my desk. I sat down and pulled out a book to read while we were in our homeroom. The door opened again, and a voice spoke. "Haruhi, Kyoko, good morning."

"Oh, hi Hikaru-!" I blinked, too stunned at the sight before me to speak. And then I recovered enough to actually formulate an appropriate response to the sight in front of me. "What the hell?"

"Hikaru…what happened to your hair?" Haruhi asked as the now flamingo-pink twin walked up to us. "Why pink?"

"It actually looks good on you," I commented, standing up to get a good look at his new hairstyle. He'd removed his parting and combed it to the back in a sort of flame hairstyle.

Hikaru grinned at me, and I found myself blushing a bit. _Wait, what? _He ruffled my hair affectionately. "It's cute, don't you think, Kyo-koi? I'm pink, starting today."

I frowned. "But, why did you dye your hair exactly?" I asked.

"Because I'm sick and tired of always being mistaken for the likes of Kaoru…" I leaned to the side slightly when I saw a familiar figure walk into the class. Well, not so familiar anymore. I snickered.

Kaoru was now sporting a magnificent sky-blue crest of hair, which was also combed into the exact same hairstyle as Hikaru's. "Good morning, Kyo-chi, Haruhi."

"And Kaoru's blue huh?" My cousin sweatdropped. I covered my mouth so that my laughter wouldn't be so obvious. The whole situation was so ludicrous, I couldn't help finding it just a tad bit funny. I mean, they had fought, and then gone home and decided to dye their hair matching but also different colours!

"I was finally able to have a good night's sleep alone last night," Kaoru smiled as Hikaru walked over to the seat beside mine and between Haruhi and me. "But I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I dyed my hair pink! What a terrible dream, right?" Kaoru laughed and sat down.

Or, at least, he tried to. Suddenly, he was on the ground and Hikaru's leg was kicking the chair. I sweatdropped at that not-very-subtle move. There was another crash, and then Hikaru was on the ground, and Kaoru was holding his chair leg.

I leaned towards Haruhi. "We should probably move now…"

Before we could, the twins straightened up, glared at each other, and began throwing all manner of things at each other, from furniture to vases to Honey-senpai. No, seriously, I'm pretty sure I saw the kid flying between them and clutching Usa-chan.

Haruhi sighed and let her head sink to the table. "Too late…"

I sighed and grabbed my bag before it could join the paraphernalia of stuff flying above me. It looked like things had just got more complicated.

oOo

Haruhi and I decided that the best thing to do would be to follow the twins around so that none of them ended up mauling the other or doing something equally drastic. In the end, we wound up following them to the school cafeteria, which was a place I'd never visited after seeing the cost of the food in it. Haruhi and I usually brought our own lunches from home.

"Lunch set A," the twins said. And then they glared at each other. "Actually, I'll take the B pasta and the D salad! No, the Cappellini and the Barbary duck from F! Never mind, a foie-gras poele with perigueux sauce!"

They were freaking out the lunch people, as well as the other students around them. It was still funny to watch, but I was becoming more and more worried. Didn't they know when to make up and stop? Besides, they were so close before, how could they suddenly start fighting? And over something so silly?

_They probably hate it when people mix them up,_ I thought to myself. _They want their own identities, I guess. Maybe this fight was a long time coming…_

"Stop copying me! I said stop copying me!"

"Amazing, they're fighting with gritted teeth," Haruhi said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I just don't get how they can be arguing, and yet still be in perfect sync!" I told her. My eyes narrowed and I frowned in the twin's direction. _Wait…something doesn't add up._

"I thought it was unusually noisy in here." I looked away from the twins. Tamaki, Honey, Mori and Kyouya walked into the cafeteria. Huh, it was odd seeing the entire host club all together out of the Third Music Room, but no less sparkly. "You guys are still fighting?" The blonde asked. "You guys are a disgrace to the host club."

"Ah, the host club is here! The entire host club is here!"

"Hi, Kyo-chi!" Honey leaped into my arms, and the sudden impact almost made me drop my bento. "Takashi, look, Kyo-chi is here!"

I looked up at Mori with a grin. "Hi, Mori-senpai!" I chirped.

He gave me one of his small but meaningful smiles. "Hello Kyoko."

"It's great to see you guys," I told them. "I've never eaten lunch here before, so we can eat lunch together, right Honey-senpai?" I looked down at Honey. He wasn't in my arms anymore. "Uh, Honey-senpai?"

"Okay, stop right there!" I turned around, and spotted Honey between the twins, holding a pink paddle that said _rabbit sumo_. "Double punishment for fighting!" He suddenly pulled out a strawberry cake from…somewhere, and held it up above his head. "Hika-chan and Kao-chan will each have half of this cake and make up with each other, okay?"

_That is incredibly cute and sweet but really unhelpful. _I groaned and facepalmed, and then I tugged on Mori's sleeve. "Mori-senpai?" When he looked down at me, I pointed wordlessly at Honey and the twins. The aura surrounding the twins and Honey was now one of complete annoyance.

Mori nodded and walked over to them, picked up Honey, and walked back. "You're only making things worse, so stop it."

I sighed. The host club was wilder than I thought. I had only been present for five episodes, I mean, a few weeks, and I already had my own fanclub (one supported Kaoru, one supported Hikaru, and the last one believed in polygamy) and personal twin harem. "EVEN IF IT IS AN EMBARRASSING-LOOKING HEART BENTO, I WILL EAT IT WITHOUT HESITATION!"

And, of course, I got to meet a person like Tamaki on a daily basis. You do not find people like him everywhere. I followed my cousin to the table she was sitting at, and put my bento box down. "Kyoko, can I sit here?"

"Uh, sure Hikaru," I nodded. He sat down beside me, an annoyed and resigned look on his face. "So what did you get to eat?" I asked after a moment. There had been so much debate over it that I was curious now.

He scowled. "When I asked for a different plate than Kaoru's, I got all the stuff I didn't like," he complained. "Hey, what's in your bento?"

"Um…some rice and crab sausages, and some squid," I replied. I had made a relatively Japanese bento after Haruhi accused me last night of being to English. It's not that I don't like Japanese food, o just wasn't used to it entirely.

"Can I have it?" Hikaru asked, already reaching for my bento. "You can eat mine. I'm sure it's better than your usual commoner fare."

"Oh, gee, thanks Hikaru," I said with blank sarcasm. "Hey, Haruhi, you want some?" I looked over at my cousin. She nodded and pushed her bento towards Hikaru as well, so I pushed the tray between us.

"Wow…" we stared at the food. It looked so expensive and delicious. I stabbed something that looked like fish with my fork and Haruhi chose the strawberries in cream. I took a bite.

Fireworks exploded on my tongue. Hearts appeared around me and, in the background, a choir of angels could be heard singing the hallelujah chorus. It was just that good. I was sure my cousin had the same look on her face. I would have looked, but I had lost all touch with anything outside the taste in my mouth.

Kaoru sat down beside me. "Hey, it's good right?" I nodded wordlessly, still sparkling. "Then try some of mine," he held up a spoonful of something chocolate-y and tilted my chin up. "Open up, ah~"

My mouth opened automatically, and then suddenly someone jumped between us and ate my chocolate. The disappointment hit me harder than you would have thought. _NOOO! DAMN YOU HKARU, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?_

Next thing I knew, Kaoru had thrown a bowl of some sort of soup at Hikaru, who had used Tamaki's face as a shield. Thus, the _let's-fling-everything-in-sight-at-each-other _began again.

Haruhi sighed, and grabbed her bento. "Let's go eat in the classroom."

"Okay," I grabbed my bento as well, and then I opened it and poured the fish thing into the cover compartment. "Don't give me that look," I told Haruhi without looking at her. "Let's go. let's also hope that the twins calm down before the club starts."


	8. Chapter 8

**Twin Devils**

Tamaki called an emergency meeting of the Host Club to discuss the problem of twins. Haruhi and I sat side by side, and I was reading _Alice in Wonderland_, which I had borrowed from the library. Kyouya was tapping numbers into his calculator while Tamaki was lying face-down on the table, apparently exasperated.

Finally, Kyouya spoke. "If this situation goes on, we'll be forced to stop selling the brotherly love," he said as he scribbled something down. "Designations will definitely drop. That will definitely be a problem. Oh, Kyoko, Haruhi…" We looked over at him, wary at how calm he sounded. He smiled at us in that fake manner of his. "You two don't have to feel responsible for anything, even if the cause of their fight was simply one thoughtless little comment."

We both sweatdropped. "He so blames us," I muttered, and then I looked over at Honey when he spoke.

"This is the first time that Hika-chan and Kao-chan have fought, right?" He stared at Usa-chan in his hands. Haruhi focused on him as well. "I've known them since kindergarten, even though I didn't talk to them since we were in different grades…" I sweatdropped again. _I keep forgetting that this adorable munchkin is actually two years older than I am._ "…but I noticed that they always played by themselves."

Tamaki nodded as he seemed to remember something too. "Yeah, I've only known them since middle school, and they were pretty odd. It was like they wouldn't let anyone get close to them except each other."

The way Tamaki described the twins made me feel sad. "So they were always alone?" I wondered. I stared at the pages of my book, not seeing the words.

"So they only had each other," Haruhi murmured.

"But, maybe this could be good for them!" Tamaki suggested. "If they're fighting, doesn't that mean that their world is expanding? It might actually be best if we just left them to it."

I looked out the window at the setting sun. "But, if this is their first fight, then how will they know when to stop?"

"If this is the first time they've ever fought and been angry with each other," Haruhi said agreed with me. "They probably don't even know how to make up." The atmosphere of the club turned depressed and worried.

oOo

The twins, in fact, did _not_ stop arguing throughout the day. As a result, the Host Club had to be temporarily closed for that day. Haruhi and I stood side by side inside the Third Music Room, and gazed up at the impressive pile of thrown objects. Honey-senpai was sitting at the top, clutching Usa-chan ad rocking back and forth.

I looked at the twins. They were breathing heavily, but still glaring at each other like they wanted to kill each other. I sighed and spoke aloud to no one in particular. "How are they not tired yet?"

Tamaki looked to be at the end of his rope. He was twitching and pinching the skin of his forehead. "You two are still fighting, after all this time?" He growled. "You troublesome siblings…"

"Troublesome?" Hikaru scoffed. "Ha, _I'm_ the troubled one for having the same face as Kaoru," he glared at his twin. "I'm tired of always being mistaken for you! The truth is, I really hate you!"

"This is getting out of hand," I muttered.

Kaoru returned the glare with equal heat. "That's my line," he yelled back. "And to prove it…" he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a wooden doll shaped like a cat. "Look, the voodoo doll I bought from Nekozawa-senpai!" Tamaki screamed and ran away at the sight of the doll.

"Who's Nekozawa-senpai?" I asked Haruhi.

"The authoress accidentally cut him out."

"What?"

"Nothing."

I focused back on the twins. Kaoru had pulled out a pen and was scribbling something on the back of the doll. "I'm going to write your name on it, and then you'll be plagued with a lot of problems and misfortunes!"

I scowled. Enough was enough! Haruhi and I stepped forward. My cousin knocked Kaoru on the head while I bopped Hikaru. "Would you two just quit it already?" I yelled at them angrily. I grabbed the voodoo doll from where it had fallen on the floor. "Don't bring something so dangerous into a fight as stupid as this!"

"Both of you are to blame for this fight! It's bad enough that you guys are arguing," Haruhi scolded them. "But you're bothering everyone as well and inconveniencing them!"

"Make up with each other right now! " I told them furiously. "If you two don't apologise to each other and make up, we'll _never_ let you visit us!"

There was silence for a while as the twins gazed up at us with stunned expressions. Finally, their lips twitched. To my shock, they both smirked. "Hmmm?" Haruhi and I stared at them in confusion. They got up and leaned closer to us. "So, if we make up, we can visit you guys?"

Suddenly, they crossed arms and leaned against each other behind us like they were the best of friends. I blinked, and I looked down at the voodoo doll. Suddenly suspicious, I turned it over. One word was scrawled over the wood in bold black ink: _Fail._

Suddenly, everything made sense. "THE HELL?" Haruhi took the doll from me and looked at it. when she saw what was written on it, her soul seemed to leave her body.

The twins started doing their twincest love act. We had told them to make up, after all. "I'm sorry Kaoru," Hikaru cupped his brother's cheek gently. "Even though I'm the older twin, I said such horrible things to you…"

"Oh Hikaru," Kaoru held his brother's shoulders and gazed into his eyes with an anguished expression. "I'm the one who should be sorry. Even though I was only following your script, I was so worried about hurting you…"

"Kaoru, I'm never letting you go again!"

"Hikaru!"

I blinked and looked away. "I think I'm gonna puke," I said. Haruhi was on all fours on the ground, apparently having given up on life at that moment. Honey-senpai was waving his arms around like an angry chibi character.

"So this was a fake fight?"

"What, we were bored!" The twins said simultaneously. "And we wanted to be able to visit Kyoko and Haruhi! Ah, that was fun! Kakakakaka!"

I suddenly recovered from my stunned stupor, and glared at the two of them. I cracked my knuckles and developed an angry red aura. "Hikaru, Kaoru?" I said sweetly. They both turned to face me nervously. "YOU TWO ARE SO DEAD WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!" I leaped at them and ended up chasing the two of them around the room in a fit of relieved rage. "Get back here the two of you! I am going to kill you both!"

"It was just for fun, Kyo-koi!"

"Dammit Hikaru, get back here the two of you!"

oOo

After the whole thing was cleared up, the Host Club was reopened. I was glad. These people were my friends, and it was nice to see everyone happy and not fighting. "Alright, time for the _Which One is Hikaru_ game?"

The twins still had their hair dyed. They hadn't washed off the dye when they went home. One girl raised her hand shyly. "Um, I think the pink one is Hikaru?"

"Correct!" The twins cheered. The other girls clapped.

"So you guys aren't taking the dye off, even after making up?" One girl asked.

"I'm glad though, it'll be easier to tell you apart now," another girl smiled. I walked past them, pushing my snack tray in front of me. Then I took another look at the twins, and I shook my head.

"You're wrong," I said, smiling at the girls. "The pink one is Kaoru, and the blue one's Hikaru."

"You guys switched your hair colours, huh?" Haruhi smiled, and the two of us walked away. I was aware of the twins staring at us as we walked away, as though we had done something strange and amazing.

**Twins POV**

"Hikaru…you know, they're the first…"

"I know."

"…without guessing either."

_Have you noticed Hikaru? The world, until now, has always been 'our world' or 'everything outside our world'. This is the first time real intruders have appeared._


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone! So I'm like 2/3 through my exams and since it's the weekend I decided to update this story. I don't own OHSHC, because if I did I would own Hikaru and Kaoru and that would be fantastic.**

**The Young Host is the Naughty Type**

I came to the club earlier than usual. It was the only place in the school where I couldn't be accosted by my fanclubs and, since I had gotten there earlier, it meant that I would have a few minutes away from the twins. It was also big and spacious, which was perfect what I wanted to do.

I never mentioned this before, but I enjoy dancing. I used to practice all the time back in England, but my school there only did choreography and ballet. I took ballet for a while, but it got too prance-y and the instructor was a screechy fifty year old woman with an eating disorder, so I quit and took up gymnastics.

Gymnastics was fun, and it also made me flexible. Sometimes, when I'm alone at home, I like to pretend I'm a ninja with awesome ninja skills. I have been scaring both Haruhi and Ranka ever since I came to live with them.

I pushed open the door of the music room, and spotted Tamaki. "Oh, Tamaki-senpai, you're here!"

He beamed at me. "Kyoko, what do you need?" He eyed my attire: a white T-shirt, black leggings and blue ankle warmers. "Why are you dressed like that?"

I hadn't been expecting him to be here, but since he was... "I wanted to ask if you could play on the piano for me," I told him. "I haven't practiced my gymnastics in a while, and I don't want to get stiff. This was the only free-time I had," I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

He melted, as I knew he would. "AW, YOU'RE SO CUTE!" He gushed. "OKAY!" I stretched for a few minutes, and then I got to my feet. "So, what do you want me to play?"

"Anything," I told him as I skipped to the middle of the room. "Maybe something classical?"

The first note played, and I lost myself in the music. Dancing has always helped me to be calm. I loved the fact that I could move my body in such a way that it was beautiful. I could feel myself loosening up as I bent this way and that, and then twisted.

I hadn't known that Tamaki could play so well. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He looked so calm and focused. He wasn't even looking at me. I relaxed and smiled. Maybe playing the piano was the same for him, as dancing was for me.

I pirouetted, and finally dropped to my knees. The music stopped, and then I heard applause. My eyes opened, and then widened when I realized that the entire Host Club was standing there and clapping. I blushed and quickly got to my feet. "Uh…how long have you guys been there?" I asked awkwardly.

Hikaru smiled. "Ah, we saw almost 60% of it all."

"60%?" I repeated weakly, and then I scrambled behind Haruhi. "Hide me."

"Wow, Kyo-chan, I didn't know you could dance!" Honey-senpai beamed at me. I crouched behind Haruhi even more. "What's wrong?"

Haruhi smiled slightly and moved so that I wasn't behind her anymore. "Kyoko's always been a bit shy about her dance skills. She also sings too."

"Haruhi!" I whined, and tried to get back behind her. She pushed me away and I huffed. "Traitor."

"I'd like to hear Kyo-chan sing sometime," Kaoru smiled at me.

"But not now," Kyouya pointed at the clock with his pen. "It's almost time and we haven't changed into our costumes."

"Kyo-chan, we got you the perfect costume!" The twins grabbed me and dragged me over to the changing room. They shoved me inside and handed me a bag. "It's a bit difficult to put on, so you might need our help…"

"Get out before I kick you out," I slammed the curtains shut, and then I looked into the bag they had given me with some trepidation.

A few minutes later, I was dressed. I stared at my reflection with an expression that clearly said: _are-you-freaking-kidding-me?_ I opened the curtain and glared at the twins. "Are you freaking kidding me?" I deadpanned.

They grinned at me. "But you look so cute!" Hikaru said.

Kaoru slipped next to me and draped an arm over my shoulders. "You can still be our maid, but you look really cute as a genie!"

"Let's not even go there," I ducked out from under his arm. "We're still negotiating on you guys referring to me as a toy."

I was dressed in blue Arabian pants that sat low on my hips. I wore a sleeveless, strapless top that showed my bellybutton. A separated curtain of translucent, shimmery material was attached to the bottom hem of the shirt. Gold bracelets (I hoped that they were fake gold, but I could never be sure with these people) decorated my wrists and my upper arm.

"Just one more thing!" I blinked as something was set in my hair: a simple sapphire blue hair band. We hurried over to our places, and I sat at Tamaki's feet because apparently that was where genie-maids sat. Apparently Tamaki had bought into that notion too.

I would have kicked him for that, but then someone knocked on the door, and Haruhi frowned. "Isn't it a bit early for guests?"

Whoever it was apparently didn't think so and the door opened anyway. "Welcome!"

I was not expecting to see what I saw: a kid. A little boy, and he had the same expression I probably had when I first opened the doors of the Host Club. _I'm not surprised kid, it's a weird place._

"What, a kid?" Hikaru stared.

"And a boy too," Kaoru noticed.

Tamaki began to pull his princely act. "What's wrong, little lost one? What brings you here to my palace?"

A sign appeared beside him. **Impersonating an Arabian Prince.**

The kid had apparently recovered from his shock, and got to his feet. "Y-you're the king here?"

"You should not have said that," I sighed.

Tamaki's eyes widened. "Come here, come forward little lost one." _Don't do it. Seriously, I'm warning you. The door's still open, you still have a chance at a normal life!_ The boy took a few steps forward, which just goes to show that my powers of telepathy need a lot of work. "What did you just call me?"

"Don't say it again," I said.

"King."

He said it. Tamaki flipped his lid and his eyes began to sparkle. "OH, KING! YOU ARE RIGHT, OF COURSE, FOR I AM THIS HOST CLUB'S KING!"

**Not Used to Being Addressed As Such and So Is Happy. **

"There is a reason we don't call him 'King' to his face," the twins muttered.

"Elementary school class 5-A," the boy introduced himself. "Takaouji Shirou!" He pointed at Tamaki. "I am here to ask the Host Club king to take me on as an apprentice."

To say that we were all stunned would have been an understatement. Except Tamaki, he was blushing, and he looked ecstatic. I doubt anyone had ever come to him for such a request. It was definitely an odd one.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Is that comfortable?" I asked, as I watched Tamaki and his new apprentice. "It looks awkward, to say the least."

"Isn't it difficult to work if he lets him observe from such a close distance?" Haruhi asked as we watched them woo a girl.

"Tamaki has always been a strong advocate of the belief that people are more beautiful the closer you are to them," Kyouya told us. He went back to writing in his notebook. "Anyway, let's just leave them be. Kyoko…" I looked over at him. "Because of your fanclub, designations have risen, and sales of your album have gone through the roof. Keep up the good work."

"Oh, great…wait, since when do I have an album?" I asked. He ignored me and just walked away. "Kyouya-senpai? Seriously!" I sighed and went back to watching Tamaki and Shirou.

"Heck, you look more like the carp in my pond!" Shirou was saying. "I'm not going to give compliments that are this blatant."

I nearly doubled over laughing, especially since everything Tamaki said after to placate her only made it worse and she ran away. "Wow, so that's the brutal honesty of children," I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.

"I'm glad to see that you have a new baby brother," Hikaru laughed. Kaoru stopped laughing, and then did his cute uke pose.

"Hikaru…would you have preferred to have a brother like him instead?"

Hikaru suddenly embraced him. "You idiot…even if I searched all over the world I would never find a better little brother than you."

"Hikaru…"

As expected, two fangirls popped up and started squealing while Shirou freaked. "Homos!" He cried. "And they're twins! Is this the so-called _kinkanyoukan_?"

"I think you mean _kinshinsoukan_," Tamaki corrected. Shirou turned to face him like, _that is not the point here!_

"Shirou-chan!" Honey glomped him. "Wanna eat cake with me? I have chocolate, and strawberry…"

"Get off me!" Shirou pushed Honey aside roughly, and I had to remember than Honey was older than I was and _way_ older than Shirou was or I would have been angry at him. "How old are you? Why are you dressed as a high school student?"

A shadow fell on them. "What's wrong Mitskuni?"

"No fair, you've got a buddy this old!"

"I think someone should calm this kid down before his brain explodes," I said to no one in particular. Shirou took a step backwards, and almost knocked into Haruhi who was carrying a tea tray.

"Ah, careful!" She looked down at him and smiled in a friendly manner. "Oh, you're confused by how many weirdoes are in this club? Don't worry, I was too when I first arrived."

Shirou stared at her for a minute, and then his eyes narrowed. "Are you an okama?"

The twins and Tamaki ran up to them. "Ah, we'll take care of things here!" Tamaki yelled, covering Shirou's eyes in a failed attempt to make the little kid _unsee_ what he had just seen.

"Haruhi's really manly!" The twins affirmed, patting my cousin on the head. It was all really quite unconvincing, and I'd be surprised if Shirou actually fell for it. He had proven that he wasn't stupid. "Okay super-manly Haruhi, why don't you let Shirou take care of the tea-set? It's part of his training."

**The Group That Insists That Haruhi is a Guy. **I facepalmed at the sign that appeared over them.

The second Haruhi handed the tray over to Shirou, he dropped it and everything shattered. I think he was surprised by how heavy it was, but that didn't excuse the words that he said next. "It wasn't my fault, okay? It was yours for making me carry it."

"Haruhi, down another 100000 yen," Kyouya said.

I marched up to the kid. "Hey, didn't anyone ever teach you to have some manners?" I scolded him in annoyance. Because of him, we had to work for another 100000 yen! Why couldn't Kyouya just make the kid pay for it? He was rich, otherwise he probably wouldn't be at this school! "Don't blame other people for your faults, got it?"

He blinked at me, and looked just slightly chagrined. I probably seemed like the most normal person in the club to him. Suddenly, Kaoru draped an arm over my shoulder. "Hey, Kyo-chan, don't look so angry!"

Hikaru wrapped an arm around my waist, which made me blush. "You'll mess up your cute features!"

Shirou freaked, again. "Are you dating both of them? Is this what they call a threesome?" He ran and hid behind Tamaki. I jabbed the twins in the side as hard as I could, and dragged them away by the scruff of their necks before they could freak the poor kid out even more. "Anyway, this isn't what I came for! Teach me how to be a host already!"

"What's with that attitude?" Tamaki looked really pissed off. "On top of that, I can't forgive you for speaking to my daughters so rudely. Quarantine this scoundrel!"

"Yes sir!" The twins replied. Suddenly, a steel cage dropped down from the ceiling onto Shirou, who looked just as surprised as I was.

"Huh, what the hell is this?" He yelled."Why did a steel cage drop on me?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering about that myself," I muttered as I gazed at the metal cage.

"Why is that there?" Haruhi asked, turning to the rest of the Host Club. "This is a music room, right?"

Shirou was jumping around like a monkey inside his cage. "Hey, let me out! Is this the way to treat your cute little apprentice? Let me out!"

Tamaki sat down and picked up a teacup, which he sipped leisurely. "Stay in there until you're a bit calmer. I only made you my apprentice because I thought you really wanted to be a host, but I guess I was wrong about you."

I turned to Shirou. "I'm serious," he said. "Really, totally serious! I want to be a host too! Please…" he suddenly fell to his knees. "I don't have much time left…" My eyes widened at that. _What does he mean by that? _"You like girls…you like seeing girls happy, that's why you're a host right?"

I considered that. Was that really why the host club existed: to make girls happy? _Maybe for Tamaki,_ I thought. He seemed like the only person in this club to actually have such a pure thought process.

"I beg you, please teach me!" Shirou pleaded. I was beginning to feel sorry for him, even if he had been a bit of a brat earlier. "You're a genius at this, right king?!"

**Genius? **

_DAMMIT WHY DOES HE KEEP CALLING TAMAKI THINGS LIKE THAT!?_ The damage was already done. Tamaki got to his feet and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, you may be a bit impertinent, but your desire to be a host seems real enough…" he suddenly began to sparkle. "Plus, you do somewhat resemble me."

Haruhi and I sweatdropped at Tamaki's words. "Poor kid," she muttered.

"That's a bit unfortunate for him," I agreed with her.

Shirou got to his feet happily. "Then you'll make me a host that can please girls?"

"Someone who cannot please girls cannot be called a host," Tamaki said. "If you're willing to go that far, then think about how to make good use of your qualities."

"My…what?" Shirou looked confused. I was too.

"What does that mean?" I looked to Haruhi for an explanation. The twins slid up to me.

"Oh yeah…" Hikaru realised.

"…we never explained this to you, did we?" Kaoru finished.

"Our Ouran Host Club, makes use of our individual features which we use to respond our customer's needs," Kyouya spoke. "We have the Prince Type, which is Tamaki." _Well that makes so much sense._ "Then we have the stoic type, Morinozuka. We have the loli-shota, Honey. We have the Little Devil types…" The twins winked at me simultaneously. "…the cool type, and finally, we have the Natural type, Haruhi."

My cousin pointed to herself with a confused look on her face. "I'm the Natural type?"

"Well I feel so enlightened now," I muttered to myself.

Kyouya smirked at me. "We also recently acquired the Maid type, Kyoko, Haruhi's cousin."

"Wait, when was this decided!?" I barked, and then suddenly, the background behind me developed red roses and I was holding a black rose. When I blinked, everything disappeared. I looked around, feeling confused and slightly terrified. …_um…okay…how did that happen?_

Kyouya consulted his notebook. "I suppose our collection is pretty much complete, but I wonder if we'll find more types."

"Age-wise, he'd be the loli-shota type," Hikaru commented. "But then he'd overlap with Honey-senpai."

Honey started tearing up. "Am I a nuisance already?"

I ran over to him and cuddled him. I had to, really. He was just so freaking adorable! He's going to get tired of my hugs soon. "No, of course not!" I said.

Honey wrapped his arms around my neck and beamed. "Yay!"

Suddenly, the familiar sounds of a high-powered motor filled the air, as well as an equally familiar voice. "Not good enough, not good enough I say!"

I sweatdropped as Renge rose out of the ground on the top of a platform similar to the one she had used at the carnival. "Why is that even here?" I wondered aloud. "Isn't this a music room?"

"I didn't know you Host Club members were this poor in analyzing characters!" Renge shook her head in disappointment. "Really, I expected better from you all. It's obvious that this kid is of the naughty type!"

What happened next was basically a full on otaku-created crash course in how to become a naughty type. It pretty much just involved Shirou getting banged up and the twins drawing fake injuries on Shirou's legs and face. It ended with Shirou running out of the room, which was what I had thought he should have done ages ago.

"Forget it already! This is insane! There's no way she'd become happy from any of this!" He yelled as he bolted from the host club.

"Ah, Shirou, come back, you haven't finished your training!" Tamaki called after him.

Renge huffed as her platform began to sink back down into the ground. "Hmph, even after my training, he doesn't want to go on. How annoying."

I walked over to Haruhi. "But, didn't you hear him?"

Haruhi nodded. "He said 'she'. And I wonder what he meant by not having much time left."

I shook my head and gazed at the door. "He isn't doing this to become a host and please a bunch of girls," I said quietly. "He's doing this for one particular girl."

Tamaki followed my gaze, and he frowned. Then he folded his arms and faced the rest of the host club. "If he's upset, then this girl must be upset! This host club was made so that we could make girls happy! Therefore, I'm proposing a plan to help Shirou!"

I sweatdropped. Haruhi and I shot each other exasperated looks. _Well, _I sighed with a shrug. _It can't be worse than any of his other plans._


	10. Chapter 10

**We Do a Good Deed **

"I get why Honey-senpai is dressed like an elementary school student," I whispered to my cousin with a large anger tick symbol on my forehead. "But why are _we_ dressed like middle school students?"

Hney looked up at the two of us. "If we're dressed like this, then it's easier for us to get inside the building, right Haru-chan?"

"I do understand the logic of dressing up like elementary school children in order to gain access into the building," Haruhi sweatdropped. "And it fits very well for you Honey-senpai…"

It turned out that Tamaki's grand, master plan was to have the three of us (and by that, I mean Honey, Haruhi and I) sneak into the elementary school building and spy on Shirou. The disguise worked for Honey, because he actually fit in with the rest of the younger kids, but not for Haruhi and me. We stuck out, a lot. Me especially, because I had a front i.e. breasts.

It was sort of creepy how it was decided. Well, actually the twins just sort of ambushed me and got one of their demonic twin-maids to dress me up. It was over before I could even protest. The twins had given Haruhi a wig so she looked more feminine. The length of her new hair was almost the same as mine. We could have been twins, except that my eyes were blue and shaped differently than hers were.

"I vote that we kick Tamaki in the shin when we get back," I muttered, and Haruhi nodded her agreement.

Honey grabbed our hands and dragged us away. "Haru-chan, Kyo-chan, that way!" He led us down a string of corridors, until we got to a classroom. "This is Shirou-chan's classroom!" He pushed the door open and skipped inside. Haruhi and I followed at a more sedate pace. "This was also my classroom when I was in elementary school!"

"Huh…" I looked around."No one's here…"

"What no one's here?" I scowled as the entire Host Club immediately trailed in after us. "How nostalgic. I wonder if my doodles are still on my desk."

"What was the point of this?" I hissed at them.

"If you all came, then what was the point in dressing us up and making us come here?" Haruhi whispered.

"It's okay…" Hikaru shrugged.

"…no one's here anyway."

Suddenly, we heard footsteps outside the door. We quickly ducked down and hid. "This is going to be difficult to explain," I whispered to Kyouya.

"If we're caught…" Hikaru agreed.

"…coming up with an excuse would be troublesome," Kaoru finished.

"We wouldn't have had to if you guys hadn't stuck to the plan!" I hissed at them. "Now hush!" The last thing we needed was for whoever was out there to come inside and ask why five high school boys, and three elementary school kids were crouching on the ground inside an elementary classroom.

"Zip your lips," Haruhi said, and we both made zipping motions across our mouths. The twins and Tamaki blushed (for whatever reason. I was done trying to understand them), but did as they were told. After a few moments, the footsteps faded and disappeared. Haruhi went to check. "Looks like he's gone."

I got up, and spotted Kyouya staring at something on the wall. Curious, I skipped over to his side. "Whatcha looking at Kyouya-senpai?"

"I found something interesting," he pointed at one of the pictures. The rest of the Host Club gathered around the picture he was pointing at. It was of Shirou. He was playing a piano with a cute girl with brown hair and eyes. The expression on his face caught me off guard. He looked…happy.

"That must be the girl he wants to impress," I peered at her. "Aw, she's so cute!" I could see why Shirou was so smitten with her.

Tamaki stared at the picture with an unreadable look on his face, and then he turned and gestured for us to follow him. I stared at the back of his head while we searched for the Music Room. Sometimes, it surprised me how deep Tamaki-senpai could behave. It was like something opened and I could see some inner pain that made him act in a serious manner.

I wondered if Haruhi knew. I glanced at her. When she looked over at me, I shook my head and looked away.

After a few more twists and turns, we found the elementary school Music Room where the Classical Music club was held. I could see Shirou talking to the girl from the picture. While she was playing the piano, he looked calm, happy, like something as small as that from her made him happy.

Tamaki managed to find out her name by not-quite-but-somehow flirting with one of the club members that exited at that moment. The little girl told us that the girl's name was Kamishiro Hina, and she was leaving for Germany for the rest of the next week because of her father's job.

I looked at Mori. "If it's for only next week, then why is he so agitated? Won't she be back soon?"

He shrugged in response, and that's when Shirou caught us. Tamaki promptly picked him up, threw him over his shoulder and walked away with him while the young boy screamed to be put down.

I sweatdropped and turned to the club member we had spoken to. I hoped she didn't think we were a bunch of weirdoes, even though we were. I say 'we' because I am now pretty much a part of the club, and there's nothing I could do about that. "Thanks for your help!" I hurried after the club.

The second we entered the Music Room and Shirou was released, he really laid into Tamaki. "What's the meaning of this, you stupid king?"

To my surprise, Tamaki replied him calmly with the same level of anger. He still had that inscrutable expression on his face, one that was hard to read but it was obvious that he was angry now. "You're the stupid one. You wanted me to teach you how to make girls happy? Don't make me laugh!"

The look on Shirou's face was one of shock. He hadn't been expecting Tamaki-senpai to have anything useful to say. I could relate to that. My time with Tamaki had taught me to regard my senpai as an extremely well-meaning but bumbling idiot who was very rarely given to moments of startling depth.

But now, this was another side to Tamaki that neither him, nor I, had seen before. "We'll never be able to answer you no matter how much you ask us because…" here his tone softened. "…what you want to please isn't many unspecified girls, is it? You only want to please Kamishiro Hina-chan, and that's why we can't help you. Only you can find out how to make her happy."

There was silence for a few seconds, and then Shirou slumped forward. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said sadly. "I don't have any more time left. I just wanted to hear her play as many times as I could before she left."

This was beginning to look and sound like some sort of sappy, emotional romance. I could actually feel tears pricking my eyes, especially when I saw how dejected Shirou looked. Tamaki turned and walked away from the young boy. "That practice piece just now," he began conversationally, almost a change of topic. "That was Mozart's sonata for a duet, right?"

"Eh?" Shirou looked up at him in confusion. I was confused too, especially when he stopped in front of a curtain (that I had never noticed before) and thrust it aside to reveal a grand piano.

My expression turned blank. "For how long has that been there?" I wondered.

"Was there a grand piano in this room before?" Haruhi asked with the same expression on her face.

"Well, this _is _a music room," Hikaru shrugged from my left.

"Even though we don't use it much," Kaoru nodded from my right.

"This _is_ a music room," Kyouya repeated from where he was sitting with Mori and Honey.

"A music room," Mori echoed in that stoic, deep voice of his.

"It was always there, just hidden," Honey told us around a mouthful of cake.

I glared at them. "Don't talk like it's the most obvious thing in the world."

Tamaki began to play a beautiful, soothing melody that made me want to smile, close my eyes and just drift away. He told Shirou that, for the next few days, the young boy would be having lessons with him.

A few minutes later, I was standing outside the school waiting for Haruhi to come downstairs. A few seconds later, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai came downstairs. "Kyo-chi, you haven't gone home yet?" Honey beamed at me from his place on Mori's shoulders.

I smiled back at them and shrugged. "I'm waiting for Haruhi to come downstairs so we can go home together. What about you guys?"

"We're going to go home in a few minutes!" Honey chirped. "Kyo-chi, catch me!" With that, he launched himself off Mori and landed in my arms. He was just lucky that I was stronger than I looked (from years of aikido) otherwise that would have been really dangerous.

Mori let him know that. "Honey, be careful."

"Ah, I'm sorry Kyo-chi!" He snuggled closer to me, and then leaned back so that he could see my face properly. "Guess what, Kyo-chi? Kyo-chan said that his family has a water park and he'll let us visit it for free next week! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

That did sound like fun! I loved water parks and the idea of swimming and water slides and pretty much anything like that! "That does sound amazing, Honey-senpai! Don't you think so too, Mori-senpai?" I looked up at him, since he wasn't talking.

He smiled down at me warmly. "Yeah."

A limo pulled up in front of us. Honey pouted. "Oh, we have to go. See you later, Kyo-chi!"

He leaned up cutely and pecked me on the cheek. I nearly died on the inside from the overload of cuteness. Mori leaned down and kissed me lightly on the forehead. It was a sweet, brotherly kiss, and it made me so happy that I had friends like them. He ruffled my hair lightly. "Bye Kyoko."

I waved at the car, and smiled to myself. My mind was so full of other things, so I didn't hear the twins calling for me until they were right beside me. "Oi, Kyoko!"

"AH!" I jumped and looked at the two of them, with my hand on my chest. "Holy crap you guys freaking scared the hell out of me!"

They frowned. "Sorry, Kyo-chi," they apologised. "So…" they drew out the vowel as they leaned closer to me. "What was with that moment between you and Mori-senpai?"

I blinked, wholly confused. "Moment?" I echoed.

Hikaru folded his arms. "You know, when he kissed you!" Wow, he really sounded pissed. I wondered why he was. "We don't like other people touching what's ours."

This toy thing was really beginning to get on my nerves, but I forced myself to calm down. "I'm not yours!" I rolled my eyes. "Besides, we weren't having a 'moment'. He just kissed me on the forehead. We don't see each other that way."

Kaoru touched the tip of my hair lightly. "But you might. And then you won't love us anymore," he whispered the words seductively into my ear.

"We can't have that," the two of them said simultaneously. I took a nervous step backwards as they began to crowd me backwards. "If it's kisses you want, then we'll be glad to give them to you. We'll be your lovers…" I gulped as my back hit the wall of the school and they leaned over me. _Wait, why am I not fighting? I learned all that aikido for a reason!_ "…would you like that, Kyoko? You can have the two of us, ready to please you…"

"Kyoko!" I burst out of the sensual, twin-hotness, total-fangirl-worthy induced haze I had been in and spotted Haruhi waving at me. In less than a second, I had ducked out of the twin's prison and was literally sprinting down the street while dragging Haruhi behind me by the scruff of her blazer.

**Twin's POV**

Kaoru laughed to himself as he watched Kyoko run away, her cheeks flaming red. He turned to his twin. "Kyo-chan is so cute, isn't she?" Hikaru grunted, and Kaoru looked at him strangely. The other twin was glaring at something on the ground, hiding his face. "Hikaru?"

Hikaru muttered something under his breath that his brother didn't hear, and then he straightened and sighed. "Never mind. Come on, tono said we have to be there while Shirou is practicing."

Kaoru blinked in confusion, wondering why Hikaru had seemed so closed off and hostile for a minute. He and his twin had always been able to tell what the other was thinking, no matter what. That he couldn't place his brother's thoughts scared him more than he would have liked to admit. Kaoru wondered if Hikaru's strange mood had anything to do with Kyoko.

His eyes widened in surprise. He recalled when he had pointed out that Hikaru had a crush on Kyoko. Then, it had all been in jest. He hadn't _really _meant it. Well, he had, but he hadn't been serious. Kaoru frowned, he wasn't sure how he felt about his twin having a crush on Kyoko. Something tightened in his chest, a faint trace of jealousy. He pushed it down and followed his twin back into the school.

Hikaru glared at nothing, his words playing in his head. _"I don't want to share her."_


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm so sorry I couldn't update! My internet went kaput on me so I'm currently borrowing my mom's. Anyway, thanks for all the awesome reviews! They are a real mood-booster and I'm really glad some people still like this story!**

**At the risk of attracting law enforcement people, I must tell you that I do not own OHSHC (_big shocker_)**

**Jungle Pool SOS**

After that incident, the twins went back to treating me like normal. However, some days I would see Hikaru staring at Mori and me with a strange, angry look on his face. Sometimes he would just march up to us and drag me away from them, muttering something about needing me for a class-work or for help in his homework.

At first, I thought it might have been because he was jealous because maybe he had feelings for me. I'd noticed that Kaoru was more chilled about it, only going along with it to please his older twin. I'll admit, the idea of Hikaru liking me sent a strange fluttery twinge through my heart.

Later, I decided that he was simply jealous because, like he and Kaoru loved to remind me, I was their toy/pet/maid/doll and so I belonged to them. Therefore, no one else had the right to touch me so casually. I'll admit, I found the idea a little Neanderthal and chauvinistic at first. Then I realized that they did it to _everything _that they considered theirs, so it was less of a chauvinistic act and more of the attitude of a spoiled little kid.

Anyway, by the end of the week Shirou had more or less mastered the duet piece and the Host club organised an event solely so that Shirou and Hina-chan to play together.

A few days later, Hina went to Germany and according to Shirou the two had been exchanging letters frequently (which was just so cute).

That had been a week ago. That day, Haruhi and I were walking through the gates of Ouran Academy. It was about 15:38, according to the time on my phone, and I was wondering what I was going to do when I got home. I didn't have too much homework, and I had already done most of it during my free periods when I didn't have any classes.

I turned to ask Haruhi if she would be averse to watching cartoons with me for a while (yes, I like cartoons) when we got home. Then suddenly, hands grabbed us and we found our feet were no longer touching the ground. "Targets…"

"…captured!"

"THE HELL!?" Haruhi and I screamed, because those two could literally make a living as spies or kidnappers. A black limo slid up in front of us, and the back window rolled down to show Tamaki wearing a red flower lei and a pair of sunglasses.

He smiled. "Good, take them away."

The twins saluted with their free hands. "Roger!"

"Huh, what's going on, where are you taking us?" Haruhi yelled as we were both pushed into the car, which was then shut behind us. I sat up slowly, and realised that I had landed underneath Hikaru (he had tripped while pushing me inside). My face flushed dark red, and I saw his face begin to darken as well.

Kaoru masked his snicker with a cough, which caused us to jerk out of our moment. The rest of the Host Club was staring at us, either with blank amusement (Kyouya and Mori), oblivious amusement (Honey) or just plain amusement (Haruhi and Kaoru). Only Tamaki was babbling about how _one of my daughters is being molested by one of those fiends!_

I quickly scrambled off Hikaru and shifted beside Haruhi. The limo sped off quickly, bearing us to some unknown location. The two of us glanced at each other, and I sighed. "Okay, I'll bite. Where are we going?"

Honey smiled at me. "Don't you remember Kyo-chii? I told you we were going to visit Kyou-chan's family's water park!"

Oh yeah, he did tell me that. I had forgotten. I quickly got excited about it, but Haruhi didn't seem to share my level of enthusiasm. _Psh, killjoy,_ I grinned and nudged her arm. She frowned at me, so I grabbed her cheeks and began to squeeze them. "SMILE HARUHI! BE EXCITED! WE'RE GOING TO A WATER PARK!"

"KYOKO, YOU'RE PULLING MY FACE APART!"

"Not until you _smile~~_!" I cooed. She glared at me as best as she could while the rest of the Host club laughed at my antics. The whole ride didn't seem to take that long, and before long we had arrived and the twins were dragging us through a jungle-like place and depositing us in front of a changing room. "The dragging was so unnecessary," I groaned. "My arms hurt."

"Sorry, Kyo-koi," Hikaru lifted my hand.

Kaoru leaned closer to me. Their smirks were teasing. "Do you want us to kiss it better?"

"Nah, I'm good," I pushed Haruhi in front of me and promptly distanced myself from them.

"This changing room's for you two," the twins said simultaneously. The door opened and I gaped. It was filled with rows upon rows of mannequins decked with the prettiest swimsuits I had ever seen! _Wait, we can _wear_ these? What's the catch?_ I eyed the twins warily.

The catch came quickly enough with the appearance of those two demonic maids. "Understood, young masters," one said, cocking her head to the right cutely. The other one followed suit, both wearing innocent smiles on their faces. "Well then, Fujioka-sama, Daichi-sama…" I gulped as their eyes gleamed. "…_this way please_."

"DON'T LET THEM TAKE US!" I tried to bolt but, as I said before, they are demons. They grabbed us and we were sucked into a swirling vortex of horror and chaos. By that, I mean the changing room. They stripped us down in record time amidst our protests.

"We have prepared some swimsuits for you," they told us while giggling like two (sadistic) children.

Outside, Kaoru called us. "We brought all of our mother's new designs over!"

"So just pick the one you like," Hikaru finished.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I will murder the two of you!" I yelled back. I heard them snickering. I gazed out at the pile and pile of suits and panicked. Look, I have a problem. Whenever I am faced with a lot of choices, I usually break down (unless the choice is obvious) and end up choosing nothing or close to that.

"Well then, Fujioka-sama, Daichi-sama, please choose!" The maids cheered.

"No, it's okay," Haruhi sighed. "I don't need a swimsuit."

I glanced at her in surprise. "But we're at a water park! We need to wear suits, even if it's just for appearances! What if someone shoves you into the pool?" She shrugged at that, not looking too concerned. "As for me," I turned back to the swimsuits and got dizzy staring at the rows and rows of colours. "I don't think I can choose…"

"Don't worry," the maids beamed at us and began going through the clothes like well-oiled industrial machines. "We'll just choose for you!" _Oh no, oh nononononono! NO!_ "What about this one?" One held up a yellow bikini with a white bow that would rest between your breasts. "It would look so good on any of you!"

"I don't want a bikini," Haruhi shook her head.

"I don't like yellow," I said when they turned to me. They looked disappointed, but immediately went back to bulldozing through the clothes, and returned with another bikini, this time in dark blue.

"Well, what about this one, Daichi-sama?" They asked, holding it out to me like there was absolutely nothing wrong with the item of clothing in their hands.

I sweatdropped and blushed. "Why does the bottom look like a thong?" I asked. "There is no way in hell I'm going to wear that, or let my cousin wear that!" I yelled the last part when I noticed them turning to Haruhi with the offending piece of clothing.

"Fine," they pouted. "Oh, this one's cute!" This time they held up a…well, they might call it a bikini, I just saw a bunch of red strings tied to vaguely resemble the shape of a bikini bottom.

I facepalmed while Haruhi voiced the problem. "Huh? But…that's just a bunch of strings!" I heard a thud from outside, but I brushed it off as nothing and faced the maids.

"Okay, let me give you the criteria for this: Haruhi doesn't want a bikini, I don't really care but I don't want something that shows too much of my breasts and my butt, are we clear?"

"Aw," they pouted and cocked their heads to the side innocently. "But those are the cutest swimsuits!" At that, I gave them my _do-I-look-like-I-give-a-fuck _stare. "Alright, we'll look. You're no fun!"

Fifteen minutes later, we were both dressed in swimsuits the two of us had dubbed relatively 'okay'. Haruhi was wearing an adorable pink one-piece with lighter pink straps and a small, frilly skirt in the same shade as the straps. Darker pink, almost red lines went up the swimsuit. The outfit was completed with a matching swim cap.

I was dressed in a dark red bikini. The top hid most of me, and it was joined to the bottom by two red ribbons that went from the gold ring in the centre to the front of the bottoms. "Aw, you both look so cute!" The maids giggled in (demonic) excited voices. Haruhi and I glanced down at ourselves, at each other, and then sighed.

The first person we encountered when we came out was Tamaki, who took one look at Haruhi in all her skimpy, super-cute, feminine attired glory, and went redder than an overripe strawberry. I arched an eyebrow and smirked. "What's the matter, Tamaki-senpai?" I asked him innocently. "You look really red."

He only went redder at my words, and suddenly shoved a yellow parka at Haruhi. "Senpai?" Haruhi asked, looking rather confused. I was confused as well. _Why is he giving her clothes? We went through that torture for a reason!_

"Hurry up and put these on," Tamaki muttered. "It's only okay for a girl to show skin when she gets married." I facepalmed and sighed at their weird mating ritual, and blinked when my senpai shoved a white sarong at me. "You too, Kyoko. It isn't right for a girl to show skin so defencelessly around boys."

I rolled my eyes. "What, worried that one of the twins might take advantage of me?" Then I blinked. "Actually, that's rather legit. Give me that," I grabbed the sarong and wrapped it around my waist. "Thank you, Tamaki-senpai! Let's go, Haruhi!" I grabbed my cousin and dragged her over to where the rest of the club was.

We both blinked at the somewhat tropical aura of our surroundings. "Where are we?" Haruhi asked as we both stared as some colourful birds flew overhead. "Japan isn't naturally tropical."

"Maybe they bought a magical transporter," I commented. When she stared at me with an _are-you-kidding-me_ face, I held up my hands and shrugged. "What? These guys are weird, they're capable of doing a _lot_ of weird stuff."

"Actually…" We jumped, since we hadn't seen Kyouya behind us. "This is a theme park operated by my family's Ootori Group," he reclined behind us, dressed casually (for someone usually so impeccably attired) and sipping some sort of fruit juice. "It is called the Aqua Garden."

"It's pretty," I complimented, staring at the beautiful surroundings.

"But I thought your family was in the hospital and medical business, Kyouya-senpai," Haruhi wondered.

"Well," he smiled at us. "We like to be rather diverse and take part in various businesses. However, you could consider this place as part of our medical business. Some people get bombarded with stress and tend to feel suffocated by work and obligations, and cannot relax in the tropics due to economic constraints." I rolled my eyes at that. "So this place was created as a haven for them to calm down and get away from it all."

"Wow, that's really cool, Kyouya-senpai," I nodded at him with a smile.

"Of course," he smiled/smirked and developed some cool sparkles of his own. "We at the Ootori Group always think about the happiness of the people."

Haruhi and I sweatdropped. "That sounds incredibly suspicious," we muttered at the same time. I blinked and glanced at my cousin. We had been spending so much time together we were beginning to act like twins! Speaking of twins, where were my resident molesters? I hadn't seen them since they shoved us into the changing room. And I wasn't asking because I missed them.

Nope, that was definitely not the reason.

"The theme park is actually due to open next month," Kyouya told us after a long sip of his drink, which was making me feel really thirsty. "But today, the whole place has been booked for the host club as a special, premiere invitation."

"Huh, so there are perks to being in this club," I murmured under my breath. "Other than the free desserts and making new friends."

"Haru-chan, Kyo-chan!" Haruhi jumped on my back, barely giving me time to stabilise myself before I stood straight. "Do you guys wanna drink some coconut juice? Or do you want to eat some mango cake?"

"I guess I'll take the coconut juice," Haruhi said.

"I'd like both," I told Hunny with a smile.

"Okay!" He jumped off me and ran away, presumably to get us our juice and my cake. I smiled wider. _Aw, he's so cute and excited but he's three years older than I am._ I sighed and wondered how that little fact managed to escape my mind so often. I decided to walk around by myself for a while and explore a bit.

While I was gazing at a totem pole and debating whether the gem at the top of it was real, two presences made themselves known on either side of me. "Hey, Kyoko, we've been looking for you!" Kaoru said.

"You look really cute in that swimsuit," Hikaru grinned, and then he frowned and hooked his finger into the top of the white sarong. "But what's with the sarong? Did Tamaki get you too?"

"Hey!" I slapped his hand away. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at the two of them. "Look, I'm only wearing this so the two of you don't try to sexually harass me!" I told them, and then I flushed slightly because the two of them were shirtless. Although this was not my first time seeing them like that, it still made me blush. Hey, I have not seen that many shirtless guys!

Of course, they noticed. "Hey, Kyo-chi, you face is getting red," Kaoru tipped my chin up in mock concern. "Is something wrong?"

Arms wrapped around my waist from behind. "If there is," Hikaru whispered into my ear. "We'll do our best to make it all better…"

"LET GO OF ME, YOU TWIN-TOUCH-HAPPY PERVERTS!" I managed to squirm away from them and put some distance between us. "Yeesh, it's just hot, okay? Just…really hot…" I averted my eyes from their matching smirks and immediately changed the subject. "Oh my gosh, wave pool!" I immediately removed my sarong and sprinted away from them. I didn't stop running until I reached the edge of the pool. Using my momentum, I catapulted from the edge of the pool, and gracefully dived into the pool.

When I came up, Honey was clapping. "Yay, Kyo-chan is so cool!" He cheered. I waved at him and climbed out of the pool, dripping water in rivulets. I shook my hair out and wandered over to Haruhi, just in time to hear the end of her and Honey's conversation. "Nope! Because, isn't this much cuter?" He spun around cutely and ran away to go play.

"Oh, it's because it had a bunny pattern!" Haruhi smiled.

"Ah, how innocent," the twins appeared beside us. _How are these guys always just…there? Everywhere…it's sort of scary…_

"Not good!" A familiar voice yelled at us from…underground? "Not good enough!" I sweatdropped as the familiar high-powered motor platform began to rise out of the ground. _Okay, HOW MANY PLACES IS THIS THING GOING TO APPEAR IN?_ I stared as one of the huts moved apart as Renge began to rise out of the ground, dressed in a brown swimsuit with a purple umbrella.

"Is this gimmick everywhere or something?" Haruhi sweatdropped. I patted her on the shoulder. Renge climbed down from the platform. She was wearing a brown bikini and, up close, I could see a pretty purple tattoo painted onto her stomach.

"Wow," I complimented her. "That's a cute outfit, Renge."

"What's with the tattoo on your stomach though?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh my, you don't know?" Renge smirked and looked rather smug. "This is cosplay!"

"Of what?" Hikaru asked. I folded my arms across my chest, interested in the conversation.

"Lala!" Renge said. The twins didn't look any more enlightened, so she hastened to explain, with her typical fangirl-like behaviour (and a lot of sparkles). "Petite and slender! Oh, and the blue eyes that shine upon young men! And her singing voice!" I sweatdropped as she showed us the real version of this Lala person. "Behold, Kisaragi Quon!"

"Meh…" I shrugged. "Not getting it."

"I still have no clue what she's talking about," Haruhi said. We then sweatdropped as Renge began to strike numerous poses for Haruhi. _Oh yeah, she still has a crush on my cousin doesn't she?_ I giggled to myself and turned back to where the twins and Tamaki were discussing something.

"Oi, tono," Hikaru smirked at Tamaki mischievously. "There's a girl in a skimpy outfit. Is that okay?"

Tamaki looked stumped for a minute. "That's…fine, isn't it?"

The twins arched their eyebrows. "And why is that?" They deadpanned.

"Because it's cosplay…I guess…" I facepalmed at his flimsy reasoning, and then prayed that the twins wouldn't use that as an excuse to dress me up in skimpy cosplay outfits. In order to avoid that, I dived into the water and swam over to where Honey was floating over the waves.

"Ah, Kyo-chan, you came to swim!" He cheered. I dived under and, when I stood up, Honey was on my shoulders. "Takashi, look," Honey waved to his cousin. I waved as well. "Kyo-chan came to play with me!" Takashi smiled back at us slightly and got into the water. He lifted Honey off my neck and carried him on his back instead, and then he ruffled my wet hair.

I giggled and shook my hair out of my face. "Hey Takashi, do you wanna try swimming against the current?" I asked him. He made a sound that must have been an agreement because, a second later, we were swimming side by side against the currents of the wave pool.

"Hey, everyone, look!" Honey waved at the rest of the Host club (who seemed to be in some sort of daze). "We're not advancing from our position, even though we're swimming so hard!" Honey was so cute! He was like the little brother I had always wanted but never had. Takashi was awesome too, even though he didn't talk much, and the way he looked after Honey was beyond adorable.

Suddenly, I saw Hikaru shoot Tamaki in the face with a water gun. "Bull's eye!"

"Let's have a water gun battle, tono," Kaoru grinned, pumping his own gun.

"Oh, that's cool! Can I get one of those?" I asked as I climbed out of the pool and quickly made my way over to them.

"You can if you're on our team," Hikaru smirked. "It'll be me, you and Kaoru against tono. You lose if you get hit in the face, and there's a penalty game!"

I was about to say that it wouldn't be fair if it was one against three, but Tamaki spoke before I could. "Hmph," he wiped his face with a towel. "No thanks. Who would want to participate in such a childish game?"

_Hey, it is not childish! It's fun! _I frowned, and didn't notice the devilish gleam that both the twins got in their eyes. Suddenly, arms grabbed me and Haruhi. "Kyoko, let's get married right away!" Hikaru grinned down at me.

"Haruhi, we'll go to Atami for our honeymoon!" Kaoru told my cousin with the same grin. I sweatdropped and slapped Hikaru's hand away from my chin. The damage had already been done though, Tamaki began pumping his water gun with demonic speed (complete with the demonic aura).

"There is no way I'll let my cute daughters become your brides." When he looked back at them, his eyes were glinting. We all sweatdropped. "Daddy won't allow it!"

"Yeah, go papa!" I cheered and grabbed a water gun from a random pile of beach toys that I guessed belonged to the twins. "I'll be on Tamaki's team, since it's only fair. Two against two, right?" I smirked and cocked the gun. I don't need to tell you that it's a really badass feeling holding a gun (or anything resembling one).

The twins pouted, and then grinned at me. "Okay, Kyo-koi, but if you lose you're getting a punishment game," Hikaru smirked at me. I sweatdropped and pointed my gun at him with a determined look on my face.

"That's it, I'm aiming for you now," I told him with a dark grin. "You should know that I kick ass in anything that involves a gun." Kyouya was appointed our referee, which was a very loose position as all he did was tell us when the game started.

He lowered his book slightly and sighed. "The game starts…now!"

Almost immediately, a jet of water shot past my face. I spun out of the way and aimed at the twin who had shot at me, Kaoru. I got him in the arm, and then got hit in the back by the Hikaru. I twisted around, ducking slightly, and burst out laughing as Kaoru's shot flew across my head and smacked Hikaru in the chest.

Tamaki ran up to me and, amidst some other shots, we managed to chase the two of them behind a tree. "Are you ready to surrender?" I teased, aiming my gun. Suddenly, the two of them jumped from behind the tree and fired a barrage of water. I flipped myself out of the way and managed to avoid the worst of it all.

Tamaki, on the other hand… "Eat this!" He yelled, and flipped himself so he could launch a barrage of his own. "Horizontal Jump Beam!" The twins dived for safety behind the cover of some decorative shield. "That's cheating!" Tamaki yelled, trying to land properly, only he hadn't done five years of gymnastics and one year of cheerleading (never again) the way I had so he wasn't aware of the fact that you need to watch where you're landing.

He slipped on a random banana peel and skidded off. I facepalmed as I watched him slide in a comically cartoonish manner, and then trip and roll several times in an equally cartoonish manner, and finally smash into one of the totem poles. "Tamaki, are you okay?" I called over. A jet of water grazed my neck and I shot one of the twins over my shoulder. "Hey, he could be hurt!" I snapped and turned around to face the twin I had soaked, Hikaru. _HA, GOTCHA!_ "We're pausing the game and…what's that?"

We turned and stared with wide eyes at the giant wave that had risen up in the wave pool, and was about to crash down on Honey.

"HONEY!" I screamed, as the wave came down and carried Honey away.


	12. Chapter 12

**I own nothing, except Kyoko. **

**Rescue Missions Gone Bad**

"Everyone!" We all turned to Tamaki, after the general shock had worn off. "Quick, after Honey-senpai! The pool here is the shortcut!" He pointed to a smaller river-like pool that joined the wave pool. We would probably find Honey-senpai if we followed it. "Charge!"

We all sprinted in that direction, all except Kyouya-senpai because, as it turned out, that place was where they kept _crocodiles_. Yep, you read that right. Why the Ootori family had seen fit to let freaking carnivorous reptiles roam free in a supposed spa-like environment was beyond me.

"WHY ARE THERE CROCODILES HERE!?" I yelled once we had run back to safety, twice. "HOW DOES ANY OF THIS MAKE SENSE!?"

Kyouya was scribbling something into his notebook. "That pool over there is for tropical animals," he commented, and I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to us. "Unfortunately, I can see that breeding crocodiles in the pools was a rather dangerous decision. Well, it looks like the location switch on the wave pool is a far bigger problem." Then he looked at us with a smile on his face. "Thank you everyone, I was able to get some good data from today!"

"YOU WERE WHAT?" The twins had to hold me back from attacking Kyouya right there and then. Screw my belief in not messing with people like Kyouya, I was going to kill that guy!

He led us to a large board with a map of the entire water park. "This is the area map of the Tropical Aqua Garden," he gestured to the brightly coloured and labelled map. He pointed to a small red 'x' near the corner. "This is our current location. To get to Honey-senpai's estimated location," he tapped a part of the map that was all green with a few buildings scattered inside it. Oddly, a bunch of the buildings in that area had question marks. "We'll have to go through the jungle area in the south block. Distance wise, it's about 800 metres."

Haruhi glanced at Kyouya curiously. "It seems like this area is filled with a lot of unknown places," she commented. I nodded, feeling wary of the vast area of uncharted territory. God knows what was crawling around there.

"Those zones are still under construction," he explained to us.

"Then wouldn't it be dangerous to go wandering in there?" I asked, eyeing him. I was still pretty angry with him.

"It seems like there would be more dangerous things…" Hikaru said.

"…than crocodiles in there," Kaoru finished.

I looked over at Mori-senpai, and folded my arms across my chest. "I don't care. Honey-senpai is alone out there, and we have to find him before something happens to him!"

"Okay!" Tamaki yelled in his team captain voice. This was the voice he had used when planning how to prevent everyone knowing Haruhi's gender during the physical examinations. Needless to say, I wasn't prepared to hold a lot of faith in whatever plan he came up with. "This is a survival battle plan! We shall penetrate through this jungle area and rescue Honey-senpai, no matter what!"

…okay, I had a _little_ more faith in him now, even though his plan was rather vague.

We set off into the jungle, which was a lot like a real jungle if I had ever seen one. There were tropical birds in the trees, and I could hear buzzing and hissing sounds that I prayed came from some hidden speaker somewhere. Still, considering the crocodiles we'd encountered previously, I didn't hold out too much hope for that.

"Those animal calls…" Hikaru slid his gaze over to Kyouya-senpai.

"…better not be real, right?" Kaoru finished, also staring at Kyouya.

"Who knows?" Kyouya replied nonchalantly. "No matter what we do, the Ootori family always strives to make things as real as possible."

"Is that why you put giant crocodiles and snakes in a _spa_?" I muttered under my breath so that only Haruhi could hear me. We both exhaled softly, and then I noticed the look on Mori's face. It was completely blank. He was normally very blank and stoic to begin with anyway, but now he just looked…kind of expressionless.

And then he slipped. We all turned to stare at him on shock because Mori-senpai _never_ slips or messes up. It's part of being the Stoic Type. That sort of behaviour was reserved for people like Tamaki-senpai.

"Mori-senpai…" I stared at him worried when he didn't get up immediately, and instead, opted to lie there with the banana he had slipped on (where had that come from anyway?) on his face. Behind me, the twins and Tamaki had started an argument. Haruhi and I stared at Mori anxiously when he finally sat up without his expression changing. I could tell we were thinking the same thing.

_He's really worried about Honey-senpai, isn't he?_

Suddenly, the sky darkened and I heard a sound like low thunder. _Is it going to rain?_ I eyed the rapidly darkening sky with some surprise. "Oh," Kyouya glanced at his watch. "It's time for the squall."

"Squall?" I repeated. The twins grabbed me and the host club quickly found cover in one of those palm-frond shelters before the worst of the water began to fall. I shivered slightly, because it was cold and I was only wearing a bikini. I didn't even have my sarong anymore. I _hated_ being cold, almost as much as I hated the dark. I quickly went to sit beside Haruhi in the hopes that her body heat would warm me up a little.

"Mori-senpai, you seem really close to Honey-senpai," my cousin cocked her head to the side curiously. "Are the two of you childhood friends?"

"They're cousins," the twins answered her. Haruhi and I were surprised, but then it made sense. The way Mori-senpai looked after Honey-senpai was the way one would look after a treasured family member, like a little brother or something.

"The Morinozuka family has served the Haninozuka family for generations," Kyouya explained. "But they became relatives after a marriage between the two families generations ago."

"So the servant relationship between the two families should have dissolved already," Hikaru added.

"Even so," Kaoru smiled and looked over at Mori-senpai. "Mori-senpai always follows and serves Honey-senpai."

"His blood must be getting agitated," Tamaki nodded sagely. "The ancient blood of a loyal servant to his lord inside Mori-senpai…"

"What a beautiful story!" The twins suddenly appeared, clutching handkerchiefs to their faces and shedding theatrical tears. "So touching, so touching!"

"You guys are weirdoes," I rolled my eyes at them and then turned to stare outside worriedly. The water was coming down pretty hard, almost exactly like it would in a real rainforest. "I hope Honey-senpai is alright," I said nervously as I worried my lip between my teeth. "I hope he found shelter like we did, and that this rain stops so we can resume looking for him again."

The twins stared at me quietly. "Don't worry, Kyoko," Hikaru patted me on the head comfortingly. "Honey-senpai is stronger than he looks. He'll be fine."

I smiled slightly at the ginger twin and nodded. "I really hope so." As luck would have had it, the rain didn't last much longer and soon the sun was out. "We should get going!" I called to the other hosts, but the twins and Tamaki were arguing again, and Kyouya-senpai was on the phone. I opened my mouth to yell again, and then Haruhi and I spotted Mori-senpai pushing through the bushes and moving in the wrong direction. "Oi, Mori-senpai!"

"You're going in the wrong direction!" Haruhi warned him as we tried to catch up to him. "Honey-senpai isn't that way!"

"No," Mori disagreed. "He's this way." _What,_ I thought sarcastically, _do you have some sort of tracking device or something?_ Still, I couldn't just let him wander out into uncharted, unknown territory.

"Mori-senpai!" I groaned as he just kept walking like he couldn't hear us. Honestly, it was like the thought of finding Honey safe and sound was all that drove him at that moment.

"It's dangerous to go out there alone!" Haruhi called after him, and when he didn't stop, I added, "We'll come with you!"

That might not have been the best idea. One by one, Haruhi and came upon snakes, beetles, and nearly plunged headfirst into swampy water. _I'm going to kill Kyouya-senpai when we get back_, I clung to the tree branch and glowered at the small body of water I just managed to prevent Haruhi and I from falling into.

Mori-senpai turned around when I pulled the two of us to safety. "Haruhi, Kyoko…" I blinked and stared up at him curiously, and then I yelped when he suddenly picked the two of us up, carrying Haruhi in one arm while I clung to his back. _Damn, he's strong,_ I thought as he kept walking like Haruhi and I weighed next to nothing. _I should definitely get him to give me piggy-back rides more often._

Mori-senpai walked on for a few more minutes, never once faltering or second-guessing himself. It was almost like he could sense Honey-senpai's presence. I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and opened my mouth to ask him if he even knew where he was going, and then I stopped. "Um…does anyone else hear that?"

I could hear footsteps heading our way. The ground was beginning to vibrate slightly with the impact of many feet. Mori-senpai stopped walking and I slid off his back cautiously. Suddenly, we were surrounded by several men wearing black, bulletproof uniforms and helmets. I assumed that they were the Ootori family secret police.

"Target confirmed," one said. I blinked as a sign appeared near Haruhi that read: **Short Boy? **And then one appeared in front of Mori and I that read: **Suspicious Targets?** _Uh…why is that there? Wait, why are they lifting their guns? Oh crap… _

I eyed the surrounding men warily and tried to gauge whether it was worth almost being shot in the arm if I attacked them. "Hey you," one of the men yelled. "Release that boy! If not, we shall resort to using brute force."

They tried to grab Haruhi, and Mori reacted by pretty much bitch-slapping the guy so hard he flew into a nearby bush which, you know, was rather entertaining to watch but it did make the other men raise their guns and almost shoot us. It was still pretty funny though.

I readied myself for a fight, and then I heard Honey-senpai's voice. "Takashi, Haru-chan, Kyo-chan, get out of the way!" We looked up in surprise, and spotted Honey-senpai swinging through the trees like a small, blonde Tarzan. His feet connected with the face of one of the police, and then he backflipped and landed in a crouch.

"Honey-senpai!" I practically sagged with relief that he was safe and sound, and then the men turned their guns on him. "Aw _hell _no!" I jumped into the air and kicked one in the face. Using his face as a springboard, I delievered a sharp upper kick to another before landing on my feet. Honey beamed at me, and then proceeded to toss, subdue, and basically decimate every single member of the police around. For a second, all I could do was stare in shock, and then I remembered that I had to help him.

Between the two of us, we made short work of all of them. Honey did most of the work anyway. He was almost like lightning, jumping from one opponent to the next. None of them lasted more than five seconds with him. After the last black-uniform-clad man had been thrown to the ground like a teddy bear, Honey got to his feet and frowned at the men like an annoyed five-year-old. "Don't be doing reckless things," he scolded the men and pointed at them. "Bullying my friends is a big no-no!"

Haruhi looked as shocked as I felt, but I recovered faster. "OHMIGOD, HONEY-SENPAI!" I sprinted at him and hugged the blonde boy tightly. "I was so worried about you!" I pulled back and eyed him over critically with my hands on his shoulders. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

He beamed at me cheerfully. "I'm fine, Kyo-chan!" He answered. "I didn't even get hungry because there were a lot of bananas around!" I sweatdropped at that, and remembered all the bananas that people had been slipping on a lot. "Thanks for helping me by the way!"

I smiled. "You're welcome."

"HARUHI!" We heard Tamaki's voice and the sound of footsteps. He and the rest of the Host club were headed our way. "Haruhi, are you alright?"

"Ah, Tama-chan!" Honey beamed at the blonde prince. "I'm alright, I'm with Kyo-chan!" I stood up and waved at the approaching boys. I might as well have not bothered, for all the attention Tamaki paid to me.

"HARUHI!" He attacked my cousin in a huge, tearful hug. "I was worried sick for you." I giggled at the blank, _ugh-not-this-idiot-again_ look on my cousin's face.

Arms suddenly wrapped around me. "Kyoko, we're so glad you're alright!" The twins chorused, hugging me tightly between them like I was the filling in some sort of weird, human sandwich. "Don't ever leave us again!"

I rolled my eyes, but smiled at them. "Yeah, yeah, I'll try. Hey, are those guys okay?" I asked, staring at the unconscious men still lying on the ground. I felt a bit bad about knocking them around, but it was all for the greater good and stuff. "They don't look so good. I didn't know Honey-senpai could actually inflict this much damage."

"Honey-senpai did this?" Hikaru asked, suddenly leaving my side and going to poke the men in the forehead. "At any rate, they look fine to me."

"This was Honey-senpai's work, right?" Kaoru was also poking another man in the face. "He must have gone easy on them."

"Huh?" Haruhi looked surprised. Tamaki looked anguished, and then I noticed that she had given his hand a good pinch in order to make him release his hold on her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you don't know?" The twins said. "Haninozuka is famous for being an elite family in martial arts," Hikaru went on to explain further. "Not only do they work with police forces and self defence, but they also train armies overseas."

_Oh,_ I stared at Honey curiously. _Well that explains how he was able to fight so well._ "In particular," Kyouya added. "Honey-senpai is the first to be known as a fierce warrior in the Haninozuka family. He has already been the national champion for karate and judo in middle school."

I turned back to Honey, just as he smiled at us cutely and pink flowers appeared around him. _Meh, _I thought, shrugging internally, _he's still flipping cute anyway._

"Also," Tamaki spoke up then, and I turned to him. "Mori-senpai was the national kendo champion in middle school." I turned to the tall, intimidating looking host as he turned to stare back at us. _Well, I can believe that._

Honey explained to us how he had found us. He had reached the goal at the end of the wave pool, and had gone searching for all of us. While climbing a tree to get some bananas, he had spotted Haruhi, Mori-senpai and I and had come to our rescue. "Kyoko helped too!" He added, grabbing my hand. "She's really good at aikido!"

The twins, Tamaki-senpai and – to some extent, and he also looked slightly annoyed – Kyouya-senpai, all gave me surprised looks. I blushed and ducked my head, especially when the twins slung their arms around me. "Look, Kaoru," Hikaru teased me, poking me in the cheek repeatedly. "We have such a talented toy!" I swatted his hand away.

"We are extremely sorry!" Someone shouted. We all turned and stared at the black-clad men. They must have recovered from their brief moment of unconsciousness and were now apologizing nervously and fervently to us. Well, to Honey-senpai. "I am the successor to the Ishikawa dojo!"

"I am a student at the Todoroki dojo!"

"I am from the Ooteki dojo!" The last one finally said. "We are all indebted to your family!" I arched an eyebrow disbelievingly. Was Honey-senpai's family that well known amongst such groups? In that case, he might be a worse enemy to have than Kyouya-senpai. Or not. Honey-senpai was _nothing_ like Kyouya-senpai.

"Oh, really?" Honey asked.

"Yes, we are humbled," they replied nervously, not daring to even make eye contact. "For us not to have known that you were Haninozuka Mitsukuni-sama, we apologize sincerely for our rudeness! But, even if it's just a coincidence, it is an honour that would last for ages for our dojo for me to have been able to exchange blows with you."

"Is is that serious?" I sweatdropped as I watched them grovel at Honey's feet.

"Yeah, it kind of is," the twins replied, leaning on my shoulders. After a few more minutes of sobbing and pleading, Kyouya dismissed his secret police, muttering under his breath about how they needed to be re-trained if even I could knock a few down. _I am just so awesome!_ I grinned to myself. I figured that bruising Kyouya-senpai's ego was a good revenge as any for making us his unofficial guinea pigs.

I watched as Honey-senpai grabbed Mori-senpai by the hand and dragged him down so he could pat his cousin on the head. "Takashi, it was really great of you to protect Haru-chan and Kyo-chan!" I smiled slightly and placed a hand on my hip. "You weren't too lonely when I wasn't around, huh?"

"No," Mori-senpai said. "Not completely." _Aw shucks, Mori-senpai! _I slung an arm around my cousin's shoulders and grinned at her.

"Come on," I called over to the rest of the Host club. "It's getting late, and I wanna get home before it gets too dark!"

oOo

A few minutes later, we were walking along the fake seaside in the light of the setting sun. I had changed back into my uniform, and had my arm around Haruhi's shoulders. "Next time," Hikaru commented from the front. "We should go to the beach for a change of mood."

"Ah, the beach," Kaoru agreed with his twin. "That's a good idea."

"Fools," Tamaki frowned at them. "Haruhi isn't interested in that." I smiled to myself. It was cute how he wanted to learn about my cousin, and really looked out for her well-being. Even if he was a bit of a bumbling idiot, he was actually a very pure person inside.

Haruhi paused and I glanced over at her. "I wouldn't mind going to the beach," she said with a smile, to the host club's surprise. "I don't really enjoy places that are obviously artificial, but the beach is nice. It's beautiful too."

"Alright, I know!" Tamaki grinned as though he had just thought of it. "Next time, we'll go to the beach!"

"Great idea, Tamaki-senpai, I wonder where you come up with these things," but I couldn't help grinning happily. "Does this mean we're really going to the beach? Awesome!" I lifted the arm that wasn't around Haruhi in a fist pump. I couldn't wait!


	13. Chapter 13

**Update time! Yeah, I'm updating now. I would have updated yesterday, but my laptop went off on me. So, yay, here's the beach episode, with added Kyokoxtwin moments!**

**Twins: *high-five***

**Kyoko: Someone help me...**

**Twins: *pouting and hugging her tightly* but Kyoko, don't you love us? If you don't, we'll show you all the ways we love you...**

**Kyoko: *flails wildly as she is dragged off somewhere***

**Me: *sweatdrop* Um...okay...I own nothing! *runs after them screaming about how this fanfic is PG-13***

**Beaches and Competitions**

You know, when someone says _next time_, you assume that they mean maybe in a week or two. Maybe a month. Nope, when the Host Club says _next time_ they mean _approximately 24 hours from now._

These people sure don't waste any time.

Haruhi and I blinked at the twins in confusion. We had just been reading together at one of the tables. Haruhi was studying, and I was trying to finish the unabridged version of Lewis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland _when the twins beset upon us with their news. "The beach?"

"Yes," they chorused cheerfully. "The beach!"

"The beach…" Haruhi repeated. I could tell she couldn't even remember what she had said yesterday about wanting to go to the beach. I grinned and shook my head. _My cousin really needs to learn to stop saying and doing things in the heat of the moment._

"Don't you remember?" Hikaru asked. "You said it before…"

"…that you wouldn't mind wanting to go to a real beach," Kaoru reminded my cousin of her previous words.

"Did I?" I facepalmed at her lack of memory.

"Yes, you did," I told her. "It was just yesterday, remember? However, I'm confused," I arched an eyebrow at the twins. "Didn't we _just_ visit Kyouya-senpai's Aqua Garden thing _yesterday_?" They nodded simultaneously. "Then isn't this a bit much?" They shook their heads, and then stepped back to gesture to the huge array of swimsuits that I hadn't noticed before.

_How did I not see any of that?_

"And so…we've prepared swimsuits for you!" They pointed to a mannequin with a pink, bikini swimsuit with a lot of frills. "They look cute, don't they?" They did, but Haruhi looked like she wanted to throw up. "With your flat-as-a-board chest, you can fool people just by wearing our uniform…"

A sign appeared in front of Haruhi with an arrow pointing to her chest. **Ms. A-Cup. **

"…and so having her wear a one-piece to expose her meagre body would just draw tears," Hikaru finished. I sweatdropped at his bluntness. "And so," they chorused. "We chose this bikini as it skilfully covers up the problem with frills!"

I patted my annoyed cousin on the back. "You guys, that was mean," I told them, frowning slightly. "You shouldn't talk about that stuff so freely!"

"Oh, Kyo-koi, we didn't forget about you!" The twins grabbed me. _Goddammit, I really hoped you had._ "As you can see, Kyoko has no problem in that department…"

A sign appeared with an arrow pointing at my chest. **Ms. D-Cup. **_HOLY SHIT, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!_

"…and so she is able to wear a large variety of swimsuits, but we chose this one for her…" they revealed a strapless, dark blue one-piece with a thin halter neck. It had a rather low back as well. "…as it accentuates her curves and skin tone to perfection!"

"And because Hikaru wanted to see her in it," Kaoru suddenly added.

"Oi, she wasn't supposed to know that!" Hikaru blushed furiously. Before anyone could comment on that out of character move for the twins, Tamaki suddenly appeared and smacked the two of them with a baseball bat.

"How dare you keep harassing my precious daughters?" He yelled. "That's quite…ENOUGH!" His anger had driven the twins to crouch behind Haruhi and I's table.

"So…we're _not_ going to the beach then?" They asked, apparently back in character, leaving me to wonder about Kaoru's sudden statement.

"Who said we're not?" Tamaki said.

"Oh," the twins grinned and peered out from their spot. "So you _do_ want to go!"

"Can my bunny come along?" Honey asked cutely.

"Of course your bunny can come!" I grinned at the cute, adorable…upperclassman. Yeah, gotta remember that…

Kyouya hummed from where he was standing between the swimsuits and scribbling in his notebook. "I suppose," he said. "If there are no objections." Mori-senpai grunted something that we all assumed meant _no_. I notced that the swimsuit he was standing in front of was brown and cream, with the top shaped to look like seashells.

"Yay!" I cheered, slapping my book shut. "We're going to the beach! And don't look so confused, Haruhi," I poked her in the cheek when I noticed the look on her face. "If there's one thing I've learned from the amount of time I've been here, is that it's best to just roll with everything they say!"

oOo

"You know," I commented from my place under the umbrella with my cousin. "When we said we were going to the beach, I thought we actually meant _us_ as in _the Host Club_. Why the hell did we bring along fifty girls?"

We had gone to a beach in Okinawa, the reasons being that Haruhi didn't have a passport and Kyouya-senpai had a private beach there. I hoped nothing weird would happen like before.

"I don't know Kyoko," Haruhi sighed as three girls skipped past us. "Ask Tamaki-senpai." I giggled and leaned back on my arms. "He's such a weirdo," Haruhi and I turned to the blonde in question. He was sitting on a rock a little way out in the sea with a girl. Behind them were several _more_ girls, all waiting in line for the _Alone With Tamaki At The Beach_ experience. As though on cue, all the girls squealed loudly and the two of us sweatdropped.

"This is so stupid," I spotted the twins playing volleyball with two other customers. I arched an eyebrow as Hikaru hit the ball a bit too hard and sent it bouncing away, and thus the twins proceeded to frolic after the ball along the seaside in the light of the sun. I could see the girls melting into piles of gooey, fangirl mush.

Huh, you know, the word _frolic_ is a funny word.

"Why do we have to be Hosts at the beach too?" Haruhi muttered. I shrugged and reached for the sunscreen from my bag, and then I noticed Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai leading a group of their own customers through a weird looking aerobics lesson. We both sweatdropped and looked at each other.

I shook my head. "I'm not even gonna ask. Sunscreen please." Haruhi passed me the blue bottle and I rubbed a generous helping of the cold cream on my shoulders and arms.

"Do you think we can go talk to Haruhi-kun?" I could hear some girls behind us. "He's with his cousin, isn't he?"

"He's always with her," another girl said. "She's sort of scary. Isn't she the one who apparently dislocated a guy's shoulder in her old school?"

I blinked and wondered how they had found out about that. Had Kyouya-senpai leaked that bit of info into the school? Haruhi turned to stare at me. "_You dislocated a guy's shoulder?_" She whispered to me incredulously.

I shrugged and avoided her gaze guiltily. "It's a long story. Oh look, a seashell! Bye Haruhi!" I quickly left my spot and jogged over to the twins who had found their ball. "Hey you guys, how's the great outdoors working for ya?"

Hikaru ruffled my hair with the hand he wasn't using to hold the ball. "Man we've been completely had," he said with a defeated smile. I grabbed the beach ball from him and tossed it up and down from hand to hand.

"I definitely did not expect us to bring customers along with us," Kaoru smiled resignedly and caught the ball in mid-air. I jumped and grabbed it back from him. "This wasn't really part of the plan."

Kyouya looked over at us from where he was sitting. "You host club members are invited here for free," he smirked at us from behind his glasses. "So do work hard at servicing our guests. Kyoko…" I snapped to attention because Kyouya-senpai made me nervous sometimes. "There isn't much for you to do here, so you may consider this period of time as a break."

I blinked. "Uh…thank you…?" The twins and I stared at Kyouya like he had just sprouted four extra arms and become some sort of Indian god. "I think the heat is starting to get to Kyouya-senpai," I muttered to the twins as we shifted off.

"Anyway," Hikaru continued with his earlier speech. "With customers around, we can't let Haruhi wear a swimsuit."

Tamaki smirked from the chair he was in. "Everything is as planned," he closed his eyes. "Who in their right minds would ever let you two perverts see my daughter's cute, swimsuit look?" _And yet, I can just wander around in a backless, strapless piece of fabric? Great parenting, Tamaki-senpai. _I rolled my eyes, and then blinked as he suddenly started wriggling on the lounge chair like a worm or snake undergoing an epileptic seizure. "AH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT! I CAN'T HOLD THIS FEELING IN!"

"What's going on with Tamaki-senpai?" One of the girls asked nervously. It was probably a shock for them to see their Prince acting like the huge dork he so obviously was.

"Ah, don't worry about him," I folded my arms across my chest and shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's just his usual sickness," the twins explained at the same time. The girls still looked confused, but there was really no way we could explain any further without exposing Haruhi as female, so I quietly left and walked along the beach. Along the way, I met up with Haruhi, who grabbed me and yanked me to her side.

"So," she glared at me. "What did you mean by _it's a long story_?"

I blushed and looked down. "Um, last year at my old school, there was this one guy who didn't understand the word _no_. He was always chasing one of my friends, Nina. She wasn't interested, but she was really quiet and shy and a bit of a doormat," I kicked at a bit of sand. "One Friday, there was a party at the school and he cornered her in one of the classrooms. I found them, luckily, and one thing led to another and…well…" I shrugged as we turned a corner around a huge rock.

Haruhi's eyes were wide. "Whoa…I didn't know. I just thought you were being violent like aunt always complains."

I sweatdropped. _Thanks mom, for whining about me to my cousin's family. That's awesome._"Haru-chan, Kyo-chan!" We spotted Honey-senpai waving at us with a pink, plastic shovel. Mori-senpai was near him, gazing at something beyond the rock. "Do you wanna go hellfish shunting?"

"Don't you mean shellfish hunting?" Haruhi corrected as we neared them.

"Besides, I don't think there are any shellfish around here…" I trailed off as I noticed the bucket behind Honey-senpai. It was filled to the brim with shellfish of every kind. "What?" Haruhi and I looked down and I screamed. "THE HELL?" That whole area of the beach was crawling with crabs and oysters and mussels! "HOW DOES THIS STUFF HAPPEN?"

It later turned out that Kyouya-senpai's special police force had wanted to apologize to Honey-senpai for attacking him before, and they planned to do this by filling the beach with shellfish. Well, if they wanted to make amends, I wasn't complaining! It just meant that dinner tonight would be even better!

"Wow," Honey-senpai cheered when we had gathered over six buckets of the shellfish. "There are so many!"

"Yay, more food for us!" I pumped a fist into the air.

"Tonight's side dishes are going to be amazing!" Even Haruhi looked like she was actually really happy, and not blank like she normally was during these host club meetings. "They look so delicious!"

"I wonder if we'll even be able to eat them all tonight," I grabbed an explorative crab and plopped it back into the bucket. I loved shellfish a lot, so I was actually really excited to eat them. "What do you guys think?"

Haruhi wasn't listening. "Senpai!" My cousin waved to Tamaki, which was rather out of character for her. _She must really be happy_, I thought to myself. "Senpai, tonight's dinner is going to be so amazing!" Tamaki's expression changed to his _OMG-Haruhi-you're-so-cute-I could-just-glomp-you_ one.

"I see, I see," he squealed like an overexcited fanboy (or like Haruhi's dad). "My precious little girl!" I resisted the urge to throw up. The guy suddenly walked over with a rather large crab. "What do you think, Haruhi?" He held it out to her. "Don't you think this crab is crab-tivating?"

Kyouya immediately turned his back on Tamaki and walked away. I just stared at Tamaki with narrowed eyes while I insulted Tamaki and his humour in my mind. _Oh my god, he didn't. That is the stupidest pun I have ever heard. I don't even understand why he would say that. I want to throw him off a cliff._ Surprisingly, that lame attempt at humour actually drew a _smile_ from my normally apathetic cousin.

"Yeah, I do!" I don't get why guys think jewellery and clothes are what you should offer girls. If you want to get a girl, just offer her food. That's the way to go, and it's 99% guaranteed to work.

"So cute…" Tamaki was so deep in his Haruhi-fanboy-love moment that he failed to notice something small and brown wriggling on the body of the crab. However, everyone else did.

"CEN-"

"-TI-"

"-PEDE!"

The girls and the twins ran away squealing and screaming, while Honey-senpai ran away because _hey, why the hell not_? I stared after them curiously, and then turned back to watch my cousin pluck the small creature from the crab and throw it into the rocks where it belonged.

"Oi, Haruhi," the twins came back and rested their arms on my cousin's shoulders. "We'll stand back and assume that you're a bug-loving girl, but couldn't you have thrown it away more gently?"

I waved my hand at them. "It's okay, it won't die from that. Bugs are actually really tough, you know."

"Haruhi's so manly!" The girls were beginning to return, and they were gazing at my cousin with admiration. "And he's gentle too! He's so wonderful!" I could practically see the hearts flying out of them. I patted my cousin on the back for good luck, and quietly took my leave along with the twins and went to go help Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai carry the buckets of shellfish away so they wouldn't get tipped or tripped over.

When I got back, the twins were talking to Tamaki. "The first person to find out her weak-point by sunset tomorrow wins!"

"Fine, but then you guys have to find out Kyoko's weak-point!" Tamaki yelled back at them.

"I'm so confused," I looked from twin to twin, and at Tamaki. "What the hell were we talking about?"

"We're playing a game," Hikaru slung an arm around my shoulders. "We're going to find out you and Haruhi's fears!"

I snorted, and ducked under his arm. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"Allow me to give the winner a prize," Kyouya suddenly held up pictures in each hand. In one hand, he held up pictures of Haruhi when she was in middle school, back when she had long hair and wore a skirt. There was even one of her in gym class playing volleyball. In the other hand there were…

I paled. They were pictures of _me_ when I worked at Nina's mom's café. I was dressed in a black and white maid uniform, complete with the headband and the frills. _HOW THE HELL DID HE GET THOSE!? _I could feel my soul leaving my body, while I could practically see the motivation meter of the twins and Tamaki reach maximum, and then explode.

"Wow, Kyo-chan, you look really cute!" Honey cheered. "We want in too!"

"Then I suppose all members are participating," Kyouya waved the pictures around a bit like a trainer taunting dogs with a treat, and then pocketed them so they were out of sight. Tamaki visibly deflated.

"But, Kyou-chan, how did you get those pictures?" Honey-senpai asked curiously. _I'd like to know that as well._

"Let's just say," he smiled at us. "I got them from a certain source, for now." _It was Haruhi's dad and my mom, wasn't it? I don't understand how people that are suppose to love you end up doing things that make you want to curl up under the covers until it's all over._

"Well then, since we really want to see our cute doll in those pictures…" two pairs of arms wrapped around me and the twins poked my cheeks mischievously. "…I suppose we have to win this competition!"

I looked up at the sky and wondered what I had done to deserve any of this.


	14. Chapter 14

**Competitions and Everything Goes Wrong**

**Plan One: Ghost Scaring Strategy**

An hour later, with no sign of the twins or Tamaki, I was beginning to feel very wary. I also hadn't been able to find Honey-senpai, or Mori-senpai, which was also suspicious. Actually, the only Host Club member I _could_ find was Kyouya-senpai, and I really wasn't in the mood to talk to him since he was the reason I was in this mess.

Anyway, I was wandering around the beach and had just found Haruhi when the twins suddenly grabbed us. "Oi, Haruhi, Kyoko," they grinned at us innocently. "We're taking a few guests down to the caves to look around. Wanna come?"

Haruhi and I looked at each other and shrugged. I quickly forced myself to calm down. When I thought about it, the only thing I had to do was not be afraid of whatever they threw at me. There weren't that many things I was afraid of anyway, so I didn't think they would be able to find out before tomorrow. "Yeah, sure," I nodded.

The cave was dark, and damp, and it smelled like seaweed and moss. The stones were rather slippery as well, and I lost my footing a few times. Kaoru led the way with a torchlight, while Hikaru took up the rear and Haruhi and I examined the half-formed stalactites on the ceiling. "This cave doesn't show itself except when the tide is out," he explained in an unnecessarily creepy voice. "Despite this, there have been many people who have drowned here…"

"Oh dear," I murmured quietly. Haruhi nudged me playfully in the shoulder and I smiled.

"…and apparently," Kaoru continued to the terrified, trembling girls. I actually felt sorry for them, they looked like they would be stuck shivering for the rest of their lives. "Their grudges drag people that pass by into the abyss."

"What's that?" Hikaru pointed up. Something that resembled a ghost with glowing eyes was laughing from a ledge higher up. The girls screamed. I arched an eyebrow at it, more confused and sceptical than anything else.

A hand reached out of the darkness and landed on Haruhi's shoulder. "What is this?" She stared at the wooden hand. "Some kind of fear trial?"

"What?" Kaoru held up the laughing spectre, which was actually a fabric puppet on a stick. "You're not scared of ghosts at all?"

"Nope," I patted the terrified girls on their shoulders to calm them down a bit. "Not really."

"I've never seen one before, at any rate," Haruhi explained.

**Status: Failed**

oOo

**Plan Two: Dark and Claustrophobic Strategy**

After we got out of the cave, and I forced the twins to make it up to those poor girls that they had managed to scare half out of their wits, Haruhi and I decided to wander around the beach and see if we could find anything interesting to do before dinner.

What we did find, however, was one of Kyouya-senpai's trucks and a bunch of secret police officers standing around it and looking highly suspicious while doing so.

"Haru-chan, Kyo-chan!" Honey waved to us from the back of the truck. "This way, this way!"

"Uh…" Haruhi and I gazed at the giant vehicle. "Is this okay? I mean, can we drive something like this on the beach?" Her questions went unanswered as we were hustled into the back of the truck and the door came down, trapping us in darkness.

Silence for a second, and then I spoke. "Huh," I looked around in the darkness. "Not bad. Kinda cosy. What do you guys think?"

"Meh." I could tell that Haruhi was shrugging.

Honey started panicking almost as soon as the truck was shut. "It's scary, it's dark, it's cramped in here! It's scary, it's dark, it's cramped in here! _It's scary, it's dark, it's cramped in here!_"

"Uh…" I knocked on the side of the truck nervously. "I think we should let him out now, before he has a nervous breakdown."

**Status: Failed**

oOo

**Plan Three: Belonephobia Strategy**

"This is…a harpoon…right, Mori-senpai?" Haruhi and I stared at the long, sharp object. Mori-senpai sweatdropped.

I cocked my head to the side while staring at the sharp, metallic point with rapt fascination. "Can I have it?"

**Status: Failed**

oOo

Later that day, much later, when the sun was beginning to set and turn the sky orange and pink, I found the twins sitting together on a low stone wall in front of one of the small guest bungalow houses on the beach. "This game is impossible," Hikaru huffed to his twin. "How can one girl not have any weakness?"

Kaoru hummed his agreement, also sounding similarly disgruntled. "This is getting kind of boring," he said. I giggled to myself and plopped my head between there's while leaning on the top of the wall.

"Give up?" I teased them. They both glared at me and I smirked, pulling back and folding my arms across my chest. "I thought I made it clear that it would be difficult to find any weak point of mine, or Haruhi's."

Hikaru grunted. "The two of you fail as heroines for not being scared of anything at all," he told me. I stuck out a tongue at him to show that I did not give a shit. His eyes narrowed and my smirk widened even more. The twins sighed.

"Well, I suppose we won't get those pictures now," they said simultaneously. "Pity, you looked really cute in them."

"Which is exactly why I'll never let you get them," I replied. "As soon as we go for dinner, I'm going to force Kyouya-senpai to burn every single one of those things!" The horrified looks on their faces made me snicker. "I'm going to go catch up with Haruhi," I noticed my cousin walking further down the beach. I winked at the twins and turned to walk away. "Good luck trying to terrify us before tomorrow!"

"Oh!" We turned and spotted Tamaki rooting around in the grass.

"Uh…Tamaki-senpai?" The three of stared at him curiously. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He suddenly thrust a bucket filled to the brim with green and copper-coloured snakes under my nose. "I've got green snakes here," he showed me the bucket and the writhing mass of scales. "They look disgusting, don't they? Does this terrify you?"

I arched an eyebrow. "No," I replied simply. "In fact, it does not. I think they're sort of beautiful and I am ashamed of you for disturbing the wildlife." Tamaki and the twins visibly wilted and sighed with defeat. "Anyway, I'll see you guys at dinner. Bye!"

As I walked away, I heard Hikaru sigh. "Well that didn't work," he said.

Kaoru's tone was contemplative. "Grass snakes, you say?" He asked Tamaki. "Are there even any grass snakes in Okinawa?"

I lost the rest of the conversation, and jogged down the beach while searching for my cousin. "Huh," I paused and looked around. "I wonder where Haruhi is…"

That was when I heard commotion coming from the top of a rather high rock. I could hear Haruhi's voice, and two more that weren't familiar. My cousin sounded angry, as did the other males. My eyes widened. "Haruhi!" I took off on a sprint, heading for the rock. As I did, I bumped into one of the girls that had come along. "Where's Haruhi?"

"He's on that rock!" She turned and pointed at one of the rocky hills that rose out of the sands. The edge was over the ocean. "Two men tried to assault us and Haruhi tried to help…!" My heart lurched as I cursed everything. _Dammit Haruhi!_ I seethed. _Don't try to be a hero!_

"Go call Tamaki," I ordered her, and then I sprinted up the rock, just in time to see two guys. One of them was holding my cousin by the collar, almost over the edge, while the other was holding two other girls. "Haruhi!"

They both turned to me, and leered nastily. "Oh, look, it's another chick!" The one holding my cousin grinned. "This one's really cute."

I snarled. "Let go of my cousin and those girls," I ordered. "Or I will break all your bones!" They laughed. Tamaki was suddenly behind me.

"Ha, your cousin's just a dumb kid!" The one holding him smirked. I ran at him furiously, planning on knocking his lights out. "Little kids like him who try to act tough should go bathe in the sea!"

I saw him let go of my cousin's shirt. I saw the fabric slip through his fingers as Haruhi, already precariously unbalanced, fell backwards and off the cliff just as I reached the edge and reached for her. My fingers brushed against hers, and then I was yanked backwards away from the edge by Tamaki while my cousin fell. "_HARUHI!"_

I heard a splash. Tamaki raced past me and dived into the water, but I barely saw him go. I was shaking, eyes wide and shocked by the events of the past seconds. _Haruhi…oh my god…Haruhi…_ After a few moments, I stopped shaking, white-hot fury replacing blind panic. I got to my feet and turned to the men, head bowed so they couldn't see my eyes. My body was more or less emitting a terrifying, nearly _murderous_ aura.

I could feel their fear, and it sent a skitter of sadistic delight through me. "You two…" I said in a normal tone of voice. "…you hurt my cousin. You hurt the girls here. You're both sick perverts," I looked up, eyes flashing with the vengeful anger that was about to spew forth like lava from the mouth of a volcano. "Disgusting human beings like you need to be taught your _place._"

I only got a few minutes to show them their place, before the twins arrived to pull me off them. After one of them made an insulting and derogatory comment about me, it was suddenly my turn to dissuade the twins from yanking the two males apart (as much as I would have loved to see that).

We made our way down the rock to the sands of the beach, and spotted Tamaki walking out of the surf with my cousin in his arms. She wasn't moving, and appeared to be unconscious. I barely waited for him to reach us before I raced over to the blonde and peered at Haruhi worriedly. "Is she…" I couldn't get the words out.

Tamaki smiled at me tiredly. "Yes, she's fine. She's still breathing." I sagged with relief and ran a hand through my cousin's wet hair. "What happened to those guys?" Tamaki asked Kyouya.

I began emitting that aura again. The twins patted my shoulders in an attempt to calm me down. "We took their ID cards and courteously asked them to leave," Kyouya answered. _Yeah, bruised, beaten and in the back of a secret police van, _I smirked happily as I thought of their bruised, terrified faces just before the back of the van shut. "The girls have been returned to the hotel. I have already called for a doctor," Kyouya added. "So one should be here soon."

I smiled at Kyouya-senpai, a real one, a warm one, and not the nervous or mocking ones I usually did. "Thanks Kyouya-senpai." He looked faintly surprised by this, but not much, and simply nodded.

"That's alright." I started when Haruhi spoke. "I don't need a doctor. I'm perfectly fine!" She climbed out of Tamaki's arms. I promptly threw my arms around her and basically let all my emotions loose as I began to wail nonsense into her shoulder.

"OHMIGOD HARUHI I WAS SO FREAKING WORRIED DON'T EVER DO ANYTHING SO STUPID EVER AGAIN OR I WILL KILL YOU EVEN THOUGH I LOVE YOU SO MUCH THAT I WOULD NEVER ACTUALLY DO THAT!" I hugged her tighter and sobbed into her shirt.

Haruhi patted me on the back awkwardly, and I leaned away to stare at her. "It's alright, Kyoko," she tried to reassure me. "I'm fine, aren't I?"

I opened my mouth to yell some more, and say how she was only _fine_ because Tamaki had been there to save her, but then he beat me to it. "Say, Haruhi," Tamaki stared at her. His expression was totally serious, and completely blank. "Are you actually one of those?" He asked. "Are you secretly a martial arts expert like Honey-senpai and Kyoko?" She looked up at him, totally confused. Tamaki reached forward and grasped her shoulders. "Why would you think that one girl like you could go up against two guys?"

I had to object on the fact that I was a girl, and I had thoroughly thrashed those perverts, but I didn't say anything. Haruhi's eyes narrowed. "This has nothing to do with being a guy or a girl," she snapped. "At that time, I didn't have time to think about it-!"

"_Well think about it a little more, idiot!_" We all froze in shock and stared at the blonde. This was the first time I had ever seen Tamaki speak harshly to my cousin. I found my fingers curling into hers tighter for support, even though I did agree to an extent with Tamaki. _Haruhi should have thought about her situation more thoroughly…_ "You're a girl!" Tamaki continued.

"Tamaki, that has nothing to do with anything," I told him, feeling defensive of my cousin. "What Haruhi did wrong was that she attacked them without knowing how to defend herself from them. Her gender has little to do with this."

"I'll apologize for causing trouble," Haruhi glared at Tamaki. "But I don't see what else I should be scolded for!" She raised her head obstinately, completely refusing to back down. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

Silence reigned for a few seconds, and then Tamaki released her. I felt the swirl of emotions in her the second his hands left her shoulders: a little bit of shock, some hurt and a lot of stubborn anger. "Oh yeah?" Tamaki stared at my cousin, and all the anger had gone out of his eyes so that his glare was cold this time. "Fine. Then you can do whatever you want."

He brushed past all of us and walked towards the mansion. The angry look on Haruhi's face held firm, but only I could see the way hurt and confusion made her eyes soften and glisten with sadness.

I sighed and pulled the towel Kyouya had given her tighter around her shoulders and torso. "Come on," I offered her a relieved, but slightly strained smile. "You'll catch a cold if you stay outside like this."

oOo

Haruhi took a bath in the fancy bedroom bathroom while I rubbed myself down with a towel and searched for something to wear to dinner. I sweatdropped when all I could find were cute, somewhat frilly dresses. _Haruhi's dad must have repacked my suitcase with the stuff my mom sent over, _I sighed and pulled out one of the dresses just as Haruhi stepped out of the bathroom.

We changed for dinner in silence, until I finally spoke. "You know Haruhi," I sighed and looked over at her. "You do owe everyone an apology." She turned to stare at me, looking somewhat mutinous. I held up a hand. "Before you argue, just listen to me. You aren't particularly strong, neither are you a particularly good swimmer. I'm just wondering what made you think you could go up against those guys without help?"

Haruhi turned away from me and shrugged, slipping an arm into the pink dress. "I just wanted to be able to help," she replied. "There was no one else, and if I left and went to go search for help it might have been too late," she arched an eyebrow at me. "You of all people should understand this."

I winced and looked away. My mom, and my friends, and my classmates had always been quick to comment on my hero-complex. My nickname back then had been _Guardian_. "I do understand," I told her. "But we were really worried about you. I was so scared when I saw you fall," I grabbed her hand and forced her to look at me. "Haruhi, I thought you were _dead_." Her eyes widened.

"I didn't know Kyoko," she looked down at our joined hands.

Someone knocked at the door and I went to open it. I smiled. "Hi Mori-senpai! Is dinner ready already?" He nodded. "Haruhi, dinner time!" I called over my shoulder. "Time to eat all those delicious crabs and stuff Kyouya-senpai's secret service policemen delivered!"

Yeah, food and the prospect of food tends to make me lose track of topics really quickly.

We jogged downstairs quickly and Mori-senpai pushed open the door of the dining room. The twins and Honey-senpai stared at us in surprise, before Honey-senpai cheered. "Wow, you guys look so cute!"

"Are those your own clothes?" The twins asked, scanning us up and down.

I sweatdropped at their blatant ogling, while Haruhi shrugged. It was alright for her. Her dress was far longer than mine. It was also frilly and very pink, with a few ruffles and a bow. She looked super cute, and I could see Tamaki staring at her from behind a pillar and blushing like a fool.

My dress was short, a few inches above my knees, and white with white lace ruffles along the hems and an empire waist. Tiny black buttons in the shape of flowers were on the bodice. "Yeah," I answered their question. "My mom got me this before we came to Japan."

"I guess my dad repacked our suitcases," Haruhi said, looking down at herself. "He always wanted me to wear this stuff, and aunt is just like him."

The twins immediately gave a thumbs up. "Good job, Haruhi papa and Kyoko mama!"

I glared at them and folded my arms across my chest. "Whatever, can we eat now?"

To say that dinner was awkward would be an understatement of vast proportions. It was almost painfully so. Somehow, Haruhi and Tamaki ended up sitting right next to each other, which was the first terrible mistake of the evening. I sat between the twins. For a few seconds, we all sat in tense silence behind plates of hot, freshly made crabs.

"You know," Hikaru commented. "The mood in here is kind of…dead."

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed. "It's also really tense." I nudged them both so that they would stop making obvious, smart-alecky comments, and then I exhaled quietly and glared at the blonde and brunette across from me. _You know, you guys are really killing the mood in here,_ I sighed to myself. _And I am getting really hungry, so can we eat now?_

Even Honey-senpai's naturally sunny disposition wasn't enough to brighten the atmosphere. "Let's eat, you guys!" He smiled shakily and held up a crab. "The crabs we got today should be delicious!"

I wasted no time in digging into the crabs, and even though I'm a very enthusiastic eater, Haruhi was really being a pig. Maybe it was because she was sitting next to Tamaki that she felt the need to act obnoxious. The twins and I watched as she devoured several crab legs, and tossed the skeletons on her plate until they rose up in a pile that was almost as large as mine.

"She's going to make herself sick," I muttered to no one in particular, eating one of my own crabs.

Tamaki glanced at her nervously. "Don't you think you're eating a bit too much?" He hedged.

"Hmm?" Haruhi eyed him coolly. "Oh, _I'm sorry_, I thought you weren't going to speak to me." _Ouch, Haruhi. _She took another bite of her crab. "Wow, aren't these crabs _in-crab-able_?" She mocked Tamaki-senpai's lame attempt at a joke from earlier. I winced. _Okay, now she's just being a bitch._ Tamaki-senpai's joke had been a horrifying travesty of humour, but it hadn't been said with enough venom to kill a pit viper.

I suddenly wanted to slap my cousin upside the head with a crab leg.

Tamaki got to his feet and slammed his napkin down. "Fine," he growled. "Alright, I get it. You're not going to reflect on what you did and you're not going to apologize, are you? That's it, I'm going to bed. Kyouya," he called as he walked past his chair. "Show me to my room." The two boys left the dining room.

I watched them go, and then turned to look at Haruhi when she spoke. She looked sad, and contemplative. "Maybe I should learn something," she murmured. "Karate, or aikido…"

"What?" The twins rested their heads on their fists and stared at her with one eyebrow raised. "So that's what's on your mind?" They asked at the same time. "That's your train of thought?" Hikaru queried. "We won't stop you from learning," Kaoru said. "But…that's not really the issue here."

Haruhi cocked her head, utterly confused. I smiled at her and shrugged. "Haruhi, you need to reflect on today," I told her. "What you did was kind of reckless."

She stared at me. "Why?" She asked. "I didn't give any of you any trouble."

I exhaled loudly, and the twins lifted their hands and shared looks like _wow, she's so clueless._ "That's not true, Haru-chan," Honey-senpai said. "You should say sorry to everyone, okay?" He smiled at her. "You should say sorry to Tama-chan for making him worry, okay?"

Haruhi looked shocked. "You were all…worried about me?"

I facepalmed and sighed loudly with everyone else. "Honestly Haruhi," I muttered. "You're so dense it's terrible." The twins nodded. I got to my feet and walked around the table so I was standing next to her chair. I placed my hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Of course we were all worried about you, you clueless girl!" The Host Club nodded.

Haruhi stared round the table, eyes wide. "Oh…I see…" she looked down. "I'm sorry everyone." My eyes widened, and then she was suddenly in the middle of a large hug, courtesy of the Host Club.

"Aw, you cute little animal!" The twins cooed, rubbing their cheeks in her hair. "We'll forgive you, because you're so cute!" There was so much rubbing and nuzzling going on. I sweatdropped and extracted myself from the hug when I noticed Haruhi turning green.

"Uh, guys?" I took another step backwards.

"Huh?" The twins stared at me, and then looked down at Haruhi. "What's wrong?"

She sagged a bit. "My stomach feels bad."

I sighed and shooed the twins and Hone-senpai away from her so she could get some air. "It's because you ate way too much crab," I told her.

"Hang in there Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai said.

"Come on, go to the bathroom!" The twins yelled.


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter is kinda short, so I did a two-for-one special. In the end, I decided not to let Kyoko know about the whole Kyouya tackling Haruhi down thing, because she would probably kill him on the spot and risk the whole secret police thing. As you can probably see from the last chapter, _n__obody_ messes with Haruhi and gets away with it.**

**I do not own anything.**

**Deep Fears and Beautiful Endings**

The wind outside was getting worse, and I could see the palm trees beginning to bend with the force. A harsh shower of cold raindrops hit me before I could shut the window of my room. The sky thundered, and though the sound was mostly muted by the double-paned glass, I could feel the sound through the air.

_I hope Haruhi is alright,_ I thought as I walked out of the room and wandered downstairs to the main room where everyone was. Haruhi, Kyouya and Tamaki had disappeared earlier from the table and none had returned, so the rest of us had washed up. Actually, I had to teach the twins how to wash up dishes without the help of maids and a dishwasher as they had never done that before.

"Wow, it's really storming," Kaoru commented, staring out the window at the night.

I nodded and walked over to them. "Yeah, it is. I hope it doesn't, though."

The twins turned to look at me curiously. "What, are you scared of storms?"

"No," I told them. Even though I really loved rain and the sound of thunder and the sight of lightning, Haruhi was _terrified_ of thunder. "I actually really like rain and thunder." I left it at that. That was Haruhi's fear, and even though I didn't get it, I accepted it anyway. "You guys are really bent on winning this game, aren't you?"

They looked surprised, as though the game had been the last thing on their minds. "Forget the game" Hikaru said, shaking his head.

"Right now, we're curious," Kaoru cocked his head to the side. "What exactly _are _you afraid of?"

I arched an eyebrow, but then I shrugged. "A lot of things," I replied. "And one of them is not being able to save the people I care about. Haruhi and I, we're similar that way. We both want to always to stand up to bullies and protect the weak. The problem is…well…Haruhi isn't exactly physically strong."

"You are," Hikaru pointed out.

I nodded. "Yeah, because I got tired of being a pushover all the time when I was little. It may not look that way now, but once upon a time, I was a complete and utter doormat. I couldn't put two words together without losing my voice because I was so scared of other people."

The twins stared at me lankly. "You're right," Kaoru said. "That does seem a little difficult to imagine."

I smiled tiredly at them, and then ii yawned widely. "Anyway, it's getting late, isn't it?" I turned to the twins, and then to Honey and Mori who were reading a little way away. "Shouldn't we all head to bed?"

Hikaru wrapped an arm around my waist while Kaoru draped one on my shoulders. "It's going to be cold tonight," Hikaru brushed his fingers against the skin of my neck. "Do you want to sleep in our room with us?"

Kaoru slid his hand over my shoulder. "We'll keep you nice and warm," he murmured. "We promise…"

For a second, I considered taking them up on their offer for two reasons. One, curiousity: I wanted to see how they would react if I actually agreed to one of their perverted schemes. Two, I had just been through a very emotionally and physically draining day, and I really wanted to cuddle with someone/something and go to sleep. Unfortunately, I had left my stuffed bear at home.

_I wonder if Haruhi would be opposed to sharing beds, _I glared at the twins but I didn't push them away. "Okay, _no. _Must the two of you be such perverts?"

They grinned at me with seductively innocent smirks. "What do you mean, Kyo-chan?" They asked. "We just want to be able to keep our cute toy warm and safe during the night!"

"I am not a cat," I told them. "I can keep _myself_ warm, got it?"

"You're still our cute, little kitten though," they both rested their cheeks on the top of my head. I touched the cold glass and traced a line through the condensation on it. The twins watched with curiousity as I drew several flowers and hearts on the surface, and then I wrote my name. finally, wiped it all off again and waited for more vapour to condense on the glass.

We heard footsteps, and Kyouya walked into the room. "I left Tamaki and Haruhi in my room about fifteen minutes ago," he told us. "We should probably see what the two of them are doing."

Even though my natural reaction to my cousin being anywhere alone with a guy, Tamaki was way too much of a cute, caring, naïve little dork to actually harm her. The twins took their arms off me and we all headed for Kyouya's room.

"Was it really okay, though…" Hikaru said.

"…to leave the two of them alone?" Kaoru finished.

Kyouya smirked at them. "This is Tamaki we're talking about," he said as we turned a corner and fond his door. "What sort of mistake do you expect him to make?" We opened the door.

"See?" Tamaki was crouching in front of Haruhi, who was kneeling on the ground with a blindfold over her eyes. "If you put on a blindfold, you won't see it!" He was telling her. "And if you put in ear plugs for the noise…"

"Ah!" Haruhi looked happy. "It's true!"

_Aw, Tamaki you're such a huge dork and a complete whackjob but you really care about my cousin!_ I smiled at the two of them, until the twins ruined the scene. "This guy's the worst!" They said, alerting Tamaki and Haruhi to our presence. "What kind of play is this? Honestly, trying to initiate Haruhi into S&amp;M!"

"No," Tamaki waved his hands around in denial. "It's not like that! I was just trying to help her cope with the storm! It's not like that!" I burst out laughing. Teasing Tamaki was just too much fun! His reactions were always the best. I walked over and untied the blindfold.

"Come on, Haruhi," I pulled her up. "We should sleep. And don't be alarmed if I cuddle you a lot unnecessarily tonight, I need the comfort."

oOo

We left early the next morning, and the twins were still teasing Tamaki about last night's events. "Be careful, Haruhi," Hikaru warned her. "Apparently, our lord has some S&amp;M fetishes!"

"It's not like that!" Tamaki yelled at them. I snickered and slipped into the car beside Haruhi. "It wasn't like that! I was doing it for your sake!"

"Drive," Kyouya told the chauffeur, and the car took off without a certain blonde lord.

"Uh," I twisted around to look out of the back window of the limo. "You guys, aren't we forgetting something?"

Kyouya turned to look at me, a small half-smirk, half-smile on his face. "No, I don't think so." I sweatdropped as we heard Tamaki screaming behind us for the car to stop.


	16. Chapter 16

**BOOM, my first arc (I got a teensy bit bored of sticking entirely to the canon plot, so I added an arc for extra fun). I just think the twins would be really cute while they were sick, especially Kaoru.**

**I own nothing *sobs into my keyboard***

**Colds Have Never Been Much Fun**

The Monday after we came back from the beach, I was surprised to see that the twins weren't in our homeroom. Surprised, but not very much so. They tended to come late most of the time just to piss off the teacher, so I figured I would probably see them during our classes.

I didn't.

They weren't in Chemistry, or Math, or English, or…at school at all, for that matter. I was beginning to get a little bit worried about them. "I wonder if they're okay," I said to Haruhi, as we ate our lunch in the empty classroom during lunch break. I tossed a bit of sausage into my mouth and chewed. "Maybe they're sick or something."

Haruhi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's probably it. They'll probably be back in school by tomorrow, so we shouldn't worry too much about it." I frowned, but nodded. Still, I couldn't help feeling a bit strange. It was odd going through school without them either tackling me with their hugs, or sexually molesting me, or even going into one of their jealous fits.

The twin's absence meant that a bunch of customers had to be rescheduled, and that annoyed Kyouya-senpai a lot. I spotted him on his phone before the club started. I had been arranging the cakes on the trays when I overheard him speaking to someone in cold, clipped tones.

I wandered up to him quietly. "…fevers?" He was saying. "The two of you have fevers?"

My eyes widened. He was speaking to the twins.

Kyouya-senpai sighed. "You're right that it might be contagious, so you should stay home. Still, you've both caused a lot of disruption to our schedule. In the future, this should never happen again."

_It's not like people really plan to get sick though, _I sweatdropped.

Kyouya clicked the phone off and turned to face me. "Can I help you, Kyoko?"

I blinked, and opened my mouth to say _no_, and then I realized that I did want something from him. "Uh, yeah," I scratched the back of my neck and looked away nervously. "I was gonna ask…um…do you know where do the twins live?"

He arched an eyebrow and lowered his phone to his side. "Why would you want to know that?" He asked, but the slight smirk that tugged at his lips convinced me that he already knew or, at least, had a really good idea why I wanted the twin's address.

I flushed and looked away again. "Uh…no particular reason…" I muttered. "They're friends, and they're sick. I wanted to visit them and make sure they were okay and everything…"

Kyouya's lips tugged into a full-blown smirk. I glared back at him and folded my arms defiantly, daring him to make some smartass comment. "Hmm," he hummed quietly, whipping his notebook out from nowhere. "Well, I suppose I could tell you. If you're planning to skip today, however," Kyouya eyed me over the rim of his glasses. "You'll have to find some way to make up for today's losses."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll figure something out," I nodded impatiently, and watched as he scribbled something down, tore it out and handed it to me.

I grabbed the small sheet of paper, and beamed at Kyouya. "Thank you Kyouya-senpai!" I called back as I ran from the room. No one stopped me as I ran out of the school gates and made my way towards the nearest bus stop. I paid for my fare and found myself a window seat in the nearly empty bus.

The ride was mostly silent on my part. Well, apart from the time a boy around my age sat next to me and tried to grope me and I shoved him to the ground. Finally, the bus stopped. I waved to the bus driver cheerfully, and then I climbed out and gaped at what had to be the Beverly Hills of Tokyo.

The houses were huge, and there was a clear distinction between the _ordinary people_ and the rich ones. I could see grounds that stretched out before you even reached the house, and swimming pools, and beautifully kept gardens with exotic looking flowers. When I walked past one of the houses, there was a large, finely groomed dog lazing in the front yard. It looked like a German Shepherd, but I didn't stay long enough to be sure because it started barking really loudly.

I glanced down at the paper that Kyouya-senpai had given me, and began searching for the twin's house. After a while, it seemed like the further I walked, the bigger and more affluent the houses began to look. _Wow,_ I stared at one particularly ornate gate. _People actually live like this. _I thought of Haruhi and her father's small apartment, and my family's modest three bedroom home bedroom home back in England.

Finally, I found the gate to the house. My eyes widened and my mouth fell open slightly. It was _huge_. It was way bigger than I had expected, or maybe it wasn't. The gate was of wrought iron, with the letter H on both sides in beautiful Gothic art. Inside, there were several cars, and then a huge, white house rising out of the ground. The grounds were perfectly kept, perfectly neat. I couldn't help feeling just a _tad_ bit intimidated.

There was a button for a doorbell. I pressed it quickly, and then mentally prepared myself. For what, I had no idea. Beyond that gate seemed so much like an entirely different world, like I was walking on the edge of a precipice, and then after the gate was steep drop.

I shook my head to clear out that thought. _I'm just here to see the twins,_ I scolded myself. _It's just a house, not a portal to an alternate dimension like Tamaki says. _As I was chastising myself, a man stepped out of the house and made his way to the gate. He wore a pressed black suit, with three silver buttons. His hair was grey, and he was going grey along the temples. I assumed that he was butler.

He stopped at the gate and stared at me. "May I inquire who you might be?" He asked, eying my uniform with slight confusion. The blazer was obviously Ouran Academy, but the overall look of the uniform was not the female variation.

I swallowed and clasped my hands in front of myself. "Um, I'm Daichi Kyoko," I told him. "I'm here to see the twins?"

He blinked and stared at me. "You're here to see Master Hikaru and Kaoru?" He asked dubiously. I nodded. "Are you a friend of theirs?" He asked. "A classmate, perhaps?" I nodded again, wondering why he seemed so doubtful. "Well then…" he pressed a button and the gate slid open. _OHMIGOSH IT'S ELECTRIC!_

What? I don't see much of that, alright?

I composed myself and followed him up the path, and into the house. The floors were so polished that I felt a bit nervous about walking on them. The carpets were gorgeously woven with gold thread. The furniture was made of brown, cherrywood and they all looked really expensive. There were a lot of beautiful vases and statuettes, but they were set in strategic locations so that the room didn't appear cluttered.

I was snapped out of my wide-eyed gazing by the butler. "Please wait here," the butler said, walking towards the curling, polished wood staircase. "I will go and alert the masters to your presence." He disappeared up the stairs and around a corner. I stood right there, too scared to move in case my feet left dirt streaks in the floors. Still, I could look around.

I peered around what had to be the front room of the house. There were framed sketches of clothes, and pictures of stick-thin models dressed in beautiful outfits and strutting down runways on the walls.

Hanging from the wall, I suddenly noted, was a large, framed picture of the twins. They seemed a little younger, judging by the way their hair was cut, and they were smiling at the camera. No, they were smirking, golden eyes narrowed and lips tilted up in matching looks of amusement and disdain. Still, they both looked rather cute, but they didn't look very happy.

I kept staring at the picture, until I heard someone coming downstairs. "My lady," the butler stopped in front of me, looking slightly flustered. "The masters refused to open their door," he bowed slightly. "They aren't feeling too well, so wouldn't you prefer to come back tomorrow…?"

I arched an eyebrow. "The fact that they are sick is exactly why I came today," I told him. "Don't worry, they'll let me in. Could you show me their room, please?" He blinked at me, clearly surprised, but my uniform screamed prestige. To him, I could be the daughter to some fancy bigwig in society. To deny me my request could spell suicide for his career.

He nodded and bowed again. "Very well, miss, if you would follow me…"

_If I'd come here in jeans and a tank top from Primark, he probably wouldn't have let me in,_ I glared at the man's suit-clad back asI followed him up the stairs and around several corners. As we walked, we passed by several maids dressed much like the twin maids I had met before. I could see them watching me curiously, a few were whispering.

_Why does everyone here seem to shocked that I'm a friend of the twins? _I wondered. We finally stopped in front of a plain door. The butler bowed once more, and then left me. I watched him go, and then I turned to the door with a sigh. Were the twins in a mood? Maybe their illness was making them act up. I smirked and raised a fist to the door. _I'll make them behave. _

I knocked lightly, and then carefully pushed the door open. "Hey, Hikaru, Kaoru?" I pushed my head into the room, blinking at the semi-darkness of the room. The curtains had been pulled across the window to ensure minimal sunlight. The room was large, and seemed a little neater than the typical teenage boy. _Well, duh,_ I reminded myself. _They have maids._

There was a large bed against the wall to my right, and I could vaguely see two human-sized lumps underneath the covers. The shapes shifted slightly.

I smiled slightly, and shut the door behind me. "Hey, you guys," I came closer to the bed, suddenly a bit nervous. What if they didn't want me to stay? What if they yelled at me? _Ah well, at least I can drop of their homework and the candy I bought at the bus stop for them!_

Oh yeah, I didn't mention that? While I was waiting at the bus stop, there was a newspaper vendor nearby selling sweets. I figured that, if the twins were feeling miserable, the candy would cheer them up. Feeling sick is the pits.

The closest lump to me shifted, and both groaned quietly. "Oi, we said we didn't want any more soup!" Hikaru grunted in an unusually raspy voice. He sat up groggily, rubbing one eye. "Just go away and…Kyoko?"

Kaoru, having heard my name, also sat up and stared at me with wide eyes. I suppressed my giggle. The fact that they both still shared a bed was so cute!

"Kyoko!" They both looked really surprised to see me. At least they didn't seem angry to see me. "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged and folded my arms across my chest. My bag bumped against my hip. "Well, you guys weren't in school," I replied. "And then Kyouya told me that you were sick, and I got worried. I figured I would come and see you for a while."

They both blinked at me, and then they smirked. "Aw, did you want to be our cute nurse?" They asked. I flushed slightly, wondering why they could still hold sex appeal, even when they were sick and pale. It also didn't help that they were both shirtless, and there was a light sheen of sweat covering both of them.

I banished those thoughts to the back of my head. _Come on Kyoko! _I scolded myself. _You are made of sterner stuff than this! You're the one who wants to be a doctor!_

I schooled my features and placed my hands on my hips. "I'm not here to play, or act like a toy," I told them briskly, dropping my bag on one of the chairs. They both blinked and watched me as I stripped off my blazer and draped it over the back of the same chair. Then I turned to them, hands on m hips. "I'm here to take care of you, and make sure you get better, okay?" They nodded quietly and I smiled at them. "Good. Now, have you guys eaten anything?"

They both glanced at each other, and then shrugged. I sweatdropped and sighed. _Hopeless, completely hopeless. I bet they would have starved for the rest of the day._

"You have to eat something before you can take any medicine," I told them, walking closer. "Besides, it's bad to be sick on an empty stomach." I reached over the bed and placed a hand against their foreheads, first against Kaoru, and then Hikaru. "Mmm, you both feel kinda warm…" I retracted my hand and brought it to my chin. "I'm going to go ask for some medicine and some soup, okay?" I turned and left the room.

**Twin's POV**

The door clicked shut behind her. Neither of them looked away from it. They hadn't expected her to stop by. They had been expecting Tamaki, and maybe Kyouya-senpai because he wasn't done chewing them out yet for falling sick. Kyoko's visit was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one.

Hikaru brought a hand to his forehead. He couldn't tell if the flush on his face was embarrassment, or the fever. Was it embarrassment? How come he had never noticed this before? why was it that, whenever it was him touching her, he never felt nervous, but when it was her leaning close to brush her fingers against his skin, he couldn't help the nervous churning in his gut. What did it even mean?

The questions circling round and round in his thoughts were making him dizzy. He flopped back onto the bed, groaning quietly. "Hey, Hikaru?"

"What is it?" Hikaru opened one eye to stare at his twin. Kaoru had a contemplative look on his face, and he was still staring at the door.

"How does Kyoko make you feel?" The question was sudden, and with no pre-empt whatsoever.

Hikaru flushed, and then glared at his twin. "Wh-what sort of question is that?" He sputtered. "She doesn't make me feel anything! What could she possibly…!"

Kaoru turned to stare at him quietly. Hikaru looked away. His twin could always tell what he was thinking, and when he was lying. It was part of being a part of someone.

He huffed and fixed his eyes on the ceiling. "I don't know how she makes me feel...exactly..." he muttered. "Happy, I guess. She can tell us apart easily. Her smiles make me smile, and she's really protective of Haruhi. She doesn't like to back down easily. She's also really fun to be around. When I'm near her, I get this weird feeling in my chest," his hands went to his chest, the place where his heart beat.

"Hmm, really?" Kaoru hummed, and then he looked away. Hikaru glared at his twin and opened his mouth to ask what that meant, when the door opened again.

**Kyoko's POV**

The medicine was pretty easy to find. One of the maids fetched a packet from a first aid box in one of the rooms, along with some small towels to make a cold compress. The soup was a bit harder to obtain, as the chef in the kitchen wanted to make some sort of fancy, French soup with spices I had never heard off. He had then gotten all huffy when I told him I wanted a simple chicken soup, with no added flair.

Chicken soup was what my mom always made me sip when I was sick. Chicken soup, orange juice and toast. It's a pretty healthy diet, really, but after a few weeks it begins to grate on your taste buds. Still, hopefully the twins would only be sick for today.

I balanced the two bowls of soup, the cups of water, the pain meds and the thermometer on a tray and carried it upstairs. It never occurred to me to ask one of the maids for assistance. I had gotten pretty used to doing things on my own. One of the quirks of being an only child, I suppose. One of the maids hanging around upstairs opened the door for me.

"Thank you," I smiled at her. She smiled back and retreated. "Hey, you guys, I brought you something to eat and some meds." I set the tray on the table beside the bed. "The soup is hot though," I warned them as I held up the bowls by their tiny mats.

Hikaru took a sip of his soup, and blinked. "What is this?" He asked me curiously. "It tastes...kind of plain, but good."

I leaned over and handed Kaoru his own bowl. "It's chicken soup," I told him. "It's good for sick people. Its plainness means that you can keep it down easily without throwing up."

Kaoru took a sip of his own, and hissed. "It's too hot," he frowned.

I shrugged. "Then blow on it," I told him. The twins glanced at each other, they seemed to be communicating telepathically via their creepy twin-mind powers. Suddenly they turned to me, and then _both_ of them adopted Kaoru's Host Club persona of the adorable uke. I was nearly blinded by the odd mash-up of cuteness and sexiness.

"But, Kyoko," Hikaru let his lashes lower seductively, yet innocently. "We feel so sick and weak...our bodies feel so cold..."

"I don't think I can even hold the spoon properly," Kaoru lowered his head and peered up at me from beneath his lashes. His lips were pouted. "Kyoko...do you think you could help us?"

_God almighty, these guys are good,_ I stared at them with large, mesmerized eyes. I could not resist the cute cries of a sick uke, even if one of them wasn't really an uke. Actually, neither of them were, but they were both pretty good at acting the part.

_Those eyes... _I sighed and took their bowls. "Fine," I groaned. "One at a time, alright?" I lifted a spoonful of the hot broth from Hikaru's bowl and blew on it until I couldn't see steam rising up from the spoon, and then I fed it to him. Then I repeated the same action for Kaoru. It was a bit odd, I thought, having to feed two people that were my age. But then I realised that I didn't mind it, because it was them.

_I really care about the twins_, I smiled to myself.

A few minutes later, both bowls were empty. "Thanks," the twins chorused as I stacked the bowls together on the tray.

"You're welcome," I turned back to them. "Now that you've eaten, you can take some medicine to make you feel better!"

At that, they suddenly reverted back to five year olds. "We don't wanna!" They both whined. I quashed the urge to laugh at how childish they were being.

"But you have to," I told them. "If you don't take your medicine, then you won't get better by tomorrow. And if you don't get better by tomorrow, Kyouya-senpai will be upset." For a minute, they seemed to consider this a valid threat because they stopped whining, but when I tried to hand Hikaru the pills, he clamped his mouth shut. "Ugh, I feel like I'm dealing with a pair of kids," I muttered to myself. "How about this?" I suggested. "If you take your medicine, I'll stay here a little longer."

Kaoru frowned at me. "When did you plan to leave?" He asked me.

"Uh, I'd only planned to stay an hour or so. I originally planned to leave when you guys had been knocked out by the pills," I told him. "But, if you take your pills now, I promise I'll still be here when you guys wake up. How's that?"

They glanced at each other, and then turned to me and nodded. I handed them the small pills, and the cups of water with the straws. Hikaru made a face while he was swallowing, and I giggled and patted him on the head to make him feel better. "I'm going to get some warm water for a compress," I told them.

Whatever the maid had found must have been really fast-acting. In no time at all, the twins were drowsy and their eyelids were drooping. "Hey, Kyoko?" The twins murmured when I came out of the bathroom with a bowl of warm water in my hands, and the towels the maid had given me over one shoulder.

"Hmm?" I placed the bowl on the floor and dunked two towels inside, one blue and one orange. I pulled them out and squeezed to get rid of all the excess water, and then I carefully began wiping off the sweat from their flushed skin. I had never been so close to a boy before, especially really cute ones. It wasn't like the twins were ripped or anything, but they were both nicely toned. Both were lean and trimmed, without a single unwanted trace of fat anywhere.

Hikaru made a sound in the back of his throat, and I flushed bright red. "That feels good..."

"Mmm," Kaoru hummed his agreement. My blush got even redder, and then I mentally slapped myself and finished cleaning them up. By the time I was done, they were both nearly half asleep. "Thanks Kyoko..." Kaoru murmured. Hikaru grunted something that I assumed meant the same thing.

"No problem," I gathered up the towels and the bowl of water. "I'll just _eep!_"

At that moment, a hand gripped my wrist and I was yanked down onto the bed. I yelped. I suppose they weren't as close to sleep as I had imagined. I was wrangled around a bit, until I found myself under the covers and between two very warm bodies. I _eep_-ed again, because all other forms of self-expression had deserted me. "Wh-what are you guys doing?" I hissed at them.

Kaoru nuzzled his nose in my hair. "Mmm, you smell good," he told me sleepily. "I wanna fall asleep to your scent."

Hikaru's grip on me tightened, and then he yawned into my shoulder. "You feel good too," he sounded just as drowsy. "Just let us hold you, okay?" Less than a few seconds later, they were both fast asleep. I suppose that, at that moment, I could have somehow managed to wriggle out of their grip. Yet, somehow, I didn't want to. The bed was so soft, and they were both so warm and inviting. I released a breath of air I didn't know that I'd been holding, and then I twisted onto my side, closed my eyes, and drifted off.

_At least they're not naked..._


	17. Chapter 17

***Rises from the darkened, abandoned cave that is my bedroom. Goes on FF. Checks stories.***

**HOLY CHICKEN NUGGETS! I HAVE 80+ REVIEWS! *Throws self out of the window and backflips back in through the doors* I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! In a non-creepy and totally platonic manner, of course ^3^**

**I don't own Ouran High School. Please don't kill me. Rushed chapter is rushed. **

**Recovering and Realisations**

When I woke up, I briefly forgot where I was. All I knew was that it was a bit dark, and that I was very comfortable where I was. _Mmm, it's so nice and warm here,_ I was about to wriggle back down into the warmth of the covers, when I felt something warm graze the back of my neck. I stiffened slightly as it all came back to me. I opened my eyes fully.

I was lying on my side and facing a twin. For a second, I wasn't sure which twin it was, and then it hit me. I was facing Hikaru. That meant that Kaoru was the one behind me, the one breathing on the back my neck. Both of their legs were tangled with mine, and that was not really helping my heart too much, which really seemed to want to beat itself out of my chest.

I tried to sit up, but both of them tightened their hold on me and refused to let go. _Goddammit, why do you both have to be so clingy?_ I mentally yelled as I tried to get up again, and was promptly yanked back to lying position. I blushed because I was so sure that my skirt had ridden up under the covers. For the first time, I wished for the original Ouran female uniform. Ugly and yellow as it might have been, at least it wouldn't have been shoved up so much.

_I should probably wake them up,_ I stared at their sleeping faces, so similar and yet with their own minute differences. I don't know when I started noticing those things. Maybe it was a subconscious thing, because I hung out with them a lot.

_Do I really have to wake them up though?_ They both looked so peaceful while they were asleep, like there was nothing wrong with the world at all. It was a change from how they usually looked.

I managed to wriggle my arms out from beneath the covers. I touched Hikaru's forehead, and then Kaoru's. Their bodies seemed cooler than before, I noted with relief, so that meant that their fevers had broken.

As I was doing this, Kaoru moaned quietly in his sleep. Slowly, his eyes flickered open. "Kyoko…" he stared at me, and then he smiled softly, albeit a bit dopily. His eyes were droopy, but they still scanned over my face with an intensity that made me blush a little. "I'm glad you're still here. Hikaru will be happy. I was so sure you were going to leave while we were sleeping."

I shrugged and twisted around so I was facing him. "I said I would stay, didn't I?" I whispered lowly, so as to not wake Hikaru. "So I did. I don't mind keeping the two of you company. At any rate, I'm glad you both seem to feel better."

"Yeah, thanks for keeping us company," Kaoru took his arms off me and stretched upwards. "We're used to mostly being alone during times like this, so I'm glad you're here. Oh yeah," he finished stretching and stared down at me. "I wanted to ask you something important," he lowered his arms back around me. I nodded slowly, indirectly telling him to ask away. "How do you feel about Hikaru?"

My eyes widened, and then darted away from his. "Um, I'm not sure what you mean..."

Kaoru smirked. "Yes you do, stop dodging the question. How do you feel about my twin?" I stared at Kaoru silently. He was asking me how I felt about Hikaru as _Hikaru, _not Hikaru as a twin. It was a very pointed question, and when I gazed into his eyes, I couldn't help being honest.

"Well…" I started. "I like him," I confessed. "He's loud, and brash, and he seems kind of childish. Still, he's nice and he can be sweet," I thought about the toy he had won for me during the carnival. "I think the reason he's loud is because he feels like he won't be heard any other way. Maybe he feels a lot of feelings and doesn't know what to do with them, so they just spill out into everyday emotions." I suddenly realised that I had been rambling and I shut my mouth quickly. "Sorry…"

Kaoru stared at me silently, wide-eyed and surprised, and something shimmered in his gaze. And then he smiled and closed his eyes. He cuddled closer to me. "Nothing," he told me. "It's just nice to know someone understands us so well." A moment passed, and then he spoke again. "So, what do you think of me?"

I smiled tiredly and closed my eyes as well. "I like you too. I think you're quieter than Hikaru, because you like to think things out, but you're still rather mischievous anyway. You seem kinder, and more mature than Hikaru. In all honesty," I yawned then, and the last bit of my words rose out on the yawn. "I love you both a lot." At that, Kaoru stiffened, but by then I was already half-asleep and fading fast.

When I woke up the second time, I was alone on the bed, which felt much colder without my two, unofficial hot water bottles. I blinked several times around the dark room, and then I lifted my watch to my face. It was already five in the evening. _I should probably call Haruhi to let her know I'll be home really late._

My bag was still on the chair. I stumbled out of the bed and did my best to straighten my rumpled uniform, and then I rooted around in my backpack for my phone. I flipped it open and winced. 7 missed calls. Haruhi was going to kill me. I keyed in her number and brought the phone to my ear. She picked up the second the phone rang. "Uh, hey Haruhi…"

"_Don't 'hey Haruhi' me!_" She yelled at me through the receiver. "_I've been calling you for ages! I thought you had been kidnapped! Why didn't you pick your phone?_"

Her voice was so loud I had to hold the receiver away from my ear while she ranted at me. "I was asleep!" I told her. I decided _not_ to tell her exactly where I'd been sleeping. "I had to bargain with the twins to get them to take their medicine, and I told them I'd stay a little later if they did."

Haruhi sighed through the phone, which translated into the sound of rushing air and loud static. "Well, try to be back before 8," she told me. "We have school tomorrow, and my dad is going to get home soon." With that, she hung up. I flipped my phone shut, and then I sighed and looked around the empty room. If the twins were well enough to walk around, then I could probably leave.

I grabbed my bag and blazer and exited the room, shutting the door behind me gently. There was no one else in the hallway. Through the window outside, I could see that the sky had turned a gentle orange-pink hue, the beginnings of sunset.

I half walked, half jogged down the stairs. _I wonder where the twins are,_ I paused at the foot of the stairs and looked around. _If I'm leaving, I should tell them. It's only polite._ "Ah, Daichi-sama!" I spun around to face the twin maids. It was nice to see them, if a little worrying. Every time the twins let them loose on me, something bad always happened.

Still, I smiled when I saw them. "Um, hi. Do you know where the twins are?"

They curtsied simultaneously. "The twins are currently in the dining room preparing to have a late lunch. Would you care to join them?" My stomach gave an unladylike grumble, and I realised that I hadn't eaten at all since school. When I'd gotten soup for the twins, I'd forgotten to get any for myself.

I nodded and followed them towards the dining room, which seemed much larger than it needed to be. A huge, ornate and rectangular table took up more than 85% of the room. The matching, perfectly polished dark wood chairs took up a further 5%. The table looked like it could sit twelve people, maybe fourteen at a stretch, with two people sitting at each end.

There was a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging above it, shedding a soft golden light over everything. In the centre of the table was a silver candelabra, and underneath it were smaller candle holders, each with small candles. There were also fat, scented candles, some coloured and some not.

The table was also laden with bowls and containers of foods. It smelled amazing. My stomach clenched painfully just staring at it all. The twins were seated next to each other, right at the end of the table. They were conversing about something over their food. I noticed that Hikaru's plate had more sweet things than Kaoru's, who had more healthy things.

They blinked when they saw me standing in the arch-like entrance of the room. "Oh, you're finally awake," Hikaru beckoned me over.

"You looked so cute while you were asleep," Kaoru gestured for me to take the seat to their right, which I did. "We didn't want to wake you up."

"Thanks," I looked them over critically. Apart from a slightly lethargic look in their eyes, they both seemed perfectly fine. "I'm glad both of you are feeling better," I told them. "It means I don't have to worry anymore."

"Aw," they both smirked at me with matching expressions. "Our little kitten was worried about us. How cute!" I flushed slightly. At least I'd been upgraded from toy to kitten. "It's nice to know that you love us enough to do this." I opened my mouth to snap at them for teasing me, and then I saw the looks on their faces.

They were both smiling at me. Not smirking, not grinning, they didn't look like they were plotting anything. They both just looked genuinely happy. My mind flashed back to the photograph of them that I'd seen in the front room, and I mentally compared their expressions. I suddenly felt both proud, and humbled (which was an odd mixture, really).

Proud, because I was able to make them smile like that.

Humbled, because it was evident that they didn't just act this way to just anyone. I wanted to keep this moment forever.

"Kyoko? Oi, Kyoko!" I blinked. They were both staring at me curiously. "You spaced out," Hikaru said. "What were you thinking about?"

_How happy I am to have the two of you as friends. Even when you annoy me and act perverted. Even when neither of you seem to not care about my feelings. Even then...I still really care about the two of you a lot._

Of course, I didn't say any of that. Long, overly sweet speeches have never quite been my thing. Angry rants? Yes. Romantic or sad monologues? No way. So instead, I just smiled and shook my head. "Nothing," I said. "Nothing important, anyway." My stomach rumbled again and I blushed when they both smirked at me. "What?" I huffed. "I'm hungry. I didn't get to eat earlier."

They both rested their cheeks in their palms. "Hmm?" Kaoru hummed. "We can't have our kitten going hungry," he smiled at me from beneath slightly lowered lashes. "Especially when she spent the whole day taking _such_ good care of us," he lifted his fork and picked something that looked like filleted fish. "Here," he held it up to my lips.

A feeling of déjà vu swept over me. _Oh yeah, this has happened before, hasn't it?_ I glared at the fork in front of me, and then at Kaoru. "I can feed myself, you know," I told him. "You don't need to feed me."

"Mmm, but you fed us earlier," Hikaru pointed out. "We just want to be able to return the favour. What's wrong?" He teased. "Aren't you hungry anymore?"

I was. That was the problem. Was I willing to give up my pride for food?

I eyed the steaming, delicious-smelling fish just a few inches from my lips, and then scowled at the twins. They were staring right back at me. Our staring contest lasted a total of ten seconds, before I finally opened my mouth and ate it. "I hate the two of you," I grumbled as I chewed it up. _This is so delicious!_ The fish was so soft, it practically dissolved in my mouth, releasing a burst of spices into my mouth.

Hikaru laughed. "That wasn't what you said earlier," he teased, and then he suddenly got up. I wondered what he was doing, until he walked around and came to sit in the empty seat on my other side. "Did you like that?" He suddenly held out a spoonful of some sort of soup. "Here, try this. Say _ah~_"

Okay, this was just getting ridiculous. "I don't need you guys to-!" Before I was even done talking, he had shoved the spoon into my mouth and pulled it out. I swallowed and licked my upper lip. "I hate the two of you," I repeated with less feeling than before. This went on for about an hour. They continued to feed me whatever they thought I would like, as though I was some sort of highly pampered pet. I was certainly feeling like one. I was about ready to curl up in someone's lap and cuddle.

Of course, I did not do this. A girl needs to have her pride and priorities, right? Mine told me that it would be very bad to suddenly clamber onto someone's lap and start purring like a kitten. Especially if that particular _someone_ was one of the twins. They'd probably buy me a collar and some cat ears.

Finally, we had dessert: strawberries and cream, courtesy of the chef (who no longer disliked me so much me after I complimented him more than the twins probably ever had in his entire time working for them). "Mmm…" I licked my lips free of the last of the cream. "This was nice," I smiled at both of them in turn.

"We're glad," Hikaru licked a bit of cream off his thumb.

"Maybe you should come and visit us again," Kaoru suggested. "Preferably when we're not sick."

"We want to be able to spend the whole day with you," they said together.

"But we already spend a lot of time together," I pointed out.

"But that's during clubs and classes," they argued. "We want it to be just us."

"We're very selfish, you know," Hikaru brushed a hand over the cheek closest to him. "Sometimes, we don't want to have to share you with other people."

Four months ago, I would never have envisioned myself in the sort of situation I was in now. A lot can change in a few months. I blushed and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Sure, why not?" I nodded. "But it's getting late now," I pulled out my phone and glanced at the glowing numbers. It was almost seven. "I should start walking home now," I got to my feet and grabbed my bag from the floor.

Kaoru frowned at me. "You're going to walk home from here?" He asked.

I nodded distractedly while pulling on my blazer. "Yeah," I said. "I just need to find a bus, and then it's not that far of a walk back home. I just hope I don't have to wait too long for a bus," I murmured the last bit under my breath.

Hands suddenly grabbed mine, and I found the twins standing on either side of me. Neither of them looked very happy. "We're not going to let you walk home alone in the dark," they said simultaneously. "There are a lot of weirdoes out there! We'll drive you home instead."

I blinked as they both began to frogmarch me towards the door, not giving me much time to object, and not paying attention to me when I did. "You guys really don't have to do this," I told them nervously. "I mean, it isn't that far. And I can defend myself from weirdoes pretty well."

Kaoru brought out his phone and dialled someone who answered on the first ring. "Bring the car round to the front," he ordered. Hikaru pushed open the front door, and we stepped out into the cool night air. I wrapped m arms around myself, and then I wondered if it was alright for the twins to be out in this kind of temperature.

A few seconds later, a sleek black car rolled up to the front of the house, and I was pushed in. The twins gave some curt instructions to the driver – a tall, kind-looking man, who looked like he was just reaching his late thirties – and then the car rolled out through the gates of the Hitachiin mansion.

**Twin's POV**

Hikaru and Kaoru had never felt more attached to a single person before. The last time that had liked someone, and someone female for that matter, it had not ended well for either of them. It had left a lasting scar, a mark that they had both carried for years.

But here was someone that didn't seem likely to cause them heartbreak. They had both liked their old maid because she didn't mince words, neither did she flatter them in order to massage their egos. Then, her attitude had seemed refreshing, until she had tricked them and then told them that no one might ever be able to tell them apart.

Kyoko could. She looked at them, and she knew at a glance who was who. She didn't sugar-coat things, and she didn't lie to them. It was clear that, if she didn't want to be their friend, she wouldn't be. Maybe it was because she was poor. There was an honesty that came when you didn't need to lie and flatter your way into your next big pay check.

She cared about them. They knew that. If she didn't care about them, then she wouldn't have come to see them when they were sick so she could take care of them. They weren't used to being taken care of so…sweetly. The maids in the house only saw them as _young masters_, people that had to be put up with so that they wouldn't be fired.

Maybe that was because they could be brats most of the time.

"Oh yeah…" They looked down. Kyoko was fumbling in her bag for something. "I thought you might want something sweet after taking your medicine," she pulled out three lollipops. "I forgot I bought them," she held the sweets out to them with a shrug. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to though…"

They each took one. "Thanks Kyoko," Hikaru ripped the paper off the slightly sticky sweet and popped it into his mouth. _Blackberry…_ Kaoru did the same thing, and got a strawberry flavoured stick. They were both rewarded with a smile, and then she popped her own stick into her mouth.

The ride to her house was mostly silent, but it was the silence that came when the people are too involved in their own thoughts and there is no pressure to speak. For the twins, their thoughts were about the girl seated between them.

_She said she loved us. Does she mean that? Of course she means it. Kyoko wouldn't lie to us. She isn't like that._

Suddenly, Hikaru felt a gentle weight on his shoulder. He looked down in surprise, and found Kyoko's head resting on his shoulder. Her lips were a little bit redder from her sweet. One of her hands was resting beside Kaoru's, as though she had wanted to take his hand, but had been too shy to.

That was another thing they liked about her. Sometimes she acted so shy, like she was afraid that they would push her aside or not want her around. Kaoru carefully slipped his hand underneath her smaller one, and curled his fingers into the spaces between hers. Kyoko made a sound in her sleep, and then sighed.

They both glanced at each other over her head, and then they turned to stare out of their respective windows. Between them, they each held a hand of the sleeping girl.

**Rushed ending is so very, very rushed. Ugh… *smashes head into keyboard* I tried to make it cute though…**

**IMPORTANT!**

**I have a poll up for this story. It's actually sort of important, so imma need you guys to go check it out and vote. I accidentally stumbled across this story on Fictionpress called **_**Loving Mia**_**, and then a sort of sequel to it on wattpad called, **_**The Importance of Being Kept**_**, and now my mind has gone into…places…**

**Read, review, and VOTE!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I got so much love for the last chapter, even though I was so sure my writing wasn't so good. Thanks you guys! Every single one of you is just so amazing!**

**On another note, the poll I mentioned in the last chapter is on my profile. Check it out and please vote. It's sort of important, though I might take it down if I eventually make up my mind.**

**I don't own Ouran High School Host Club.**

**Here Comes Lobelia Academy**

After the twins dropped me at home, and I was chewed out bu Haruhi (bit not by my uncle as he was not home at the time) she asked me to tell her everything that had happened with the twins. Even though Haruhi and I weren't usually ones for _girl talk_, I was actually pretty glad to have someone who would listen to me talk without squealing, and could also give useful input.

That had been two days ago, on Wednesday. It was Friday, and I was experiencing that beautiful feeling of divine calm known as T.G.I.F. The whole school seemed to be in a state of calm, lethargy. No one was really doing anything, and I was bent over my desk near the window in one of my classes reading a book.

I shut the book with a happy sigh. It had taken much longer than usual to finish the whole story of _Alice in Wonderland_, but it had been worth it. The nonsensical rhymes by the characters had been hilarious, and had added to the whimsical air of the whole thing perfectly.

_Anyway, _I slipped the book into my bag and headed towards the library, _I wonder if it's still open. I want to get a new book to read…_

The one thing I suppose I loved the most about Ouran was the library. Even though it was noisy and more of a gathering place for gossip and mindless chatter, it was unbelievably extensive, with fiction and non-fiction, and encyclopaedias for everything you could ever want to know about pretty much anything.

I made my way towards the library wing, passing by a few students on my way. Some glanced at me, and a few waved as I passed them. I turned a corner, and spotted a boy leaning beside the door of the library. I knew him vaguely by face. His name was Saizo, and he was in my chemistry class. I had never spoken to him before though.

It didn't look like he was doing anything, other than loitering by the door like some shady mafia-like character. _Maybe he's waiting for someone,_ I thought. I shrugged internally and kept going, and then his eyes rose and he spotted me.

The guy immediately pushed himself straight and grinned widely at me. "Oh, I was hoping I would get to see you!"

I blinked and looked around. There didn't seem to be any other person around that he could be speaking to, which meant… "Uh, me?" I pointed at myself dubiously.

He nodded with a flirty smile. "We're in chemistry together, and I see you in the hallways often. You hang out with Haruhi and the Hitachiin twins in the Host Club, right?" I nodded slowly, and then before I could say anything, he grabbed my hand and leaned forward. _The hell? _I stared up at him. _I will judo flip you into next week. _"You know, you're much cuter than I gave you credit for," he smiled at me charmingly.

_Um, you do not randomly grab people and make odd comments like that_, I stared at the guy blankly._ It's creepy, and unwanted. Unless you are a Host, of course, in which case it is not creepy and is completely wanted._

My eyes narrowed at him. "Thanks, but could you let go of me? I have to be back in class soon and you're wasting my time."

He grinned wider and tugged me closer. "Ooh, feisty. I like that in a girl." I nearly gagged. "Say, would you like to go out some time?"

I opened my mouth to say something along the lines of _hell to the freaking no, bitch! _Suddenly, a hand slapped his hand away from mine. Arms wrapped around my waist and I was yanked against someone else. I didn't have to look to know who it was. Hikaru practically snarled at the guy from behind me, while Kaoru held the hand that had previously been molested by the guy in his own.

"Oi, don't touch what isn't yours!" Hikaru snapped. I sweatdropped and pouted. _Ugh, not this thing again…_ I had thought that they had both calmed down with that. However, I will admit that it felt kind of nice to have the two of them around me. I was getting too used to them, I suppose…

Saizo glared at them angrily. "The neither of you are dating her, right?" He retaliated. "She isn't yours. If she wants to go out with me, then there's nothing either of you can do to stop her."

"Maybe," Kaoru nodded. "But she doesn't want to go out with you, do you Kyoko?"

I folded my arms across my chest. "Don't put words in my mouth," I huffed at them, and then I turned to Saizo with an apologetic (but not entirely genuinely so) face. "I'm sorry Saizo, but I don't really have time to date anyone right now." I don't know why I made an excuse. I suppose the method of giving kind, vague excuses so as not to hurt someone else's feelings has been ingrained into me.

He looked disappointed. With an angry glare at the twins, he walked off. Just then, the bell rang, signalling the end of break. I groaned, and then tilted my head back so I could see Hikaru.

"You know you can let go of me now, right?" Not that it was uncomfortable, we just needed to get to class. Like, right now. "No one's coming to steal your 'toy', so you don't have to cling so tightly to me. I'm not going anywhere."

At that, Hikaru relaxed. Kaoru looked slightly surprised, and then he smiled slightly at me and stroked the back of my hand gently with his thumb. Hikaru raised a hand and placed it on the top of my head. "Don't let anyone touch you so casually," he instructed. "No other man should be able to touch you except us."

I sweatdropped again, but I didn't have time to start arguing about this with them (well, with Hikaru). "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on, let's get to class!" I grabbed their hands and practically dragged them to class. We were still late to class though, but we didn't get in trouble because classes had been cancelled for the rest of the day due to some event going on later. "Huh, I didn't know," I dropped their hands. "Sorry I made you guys run for nothing."

"Aw, look at you, being all sweet," they both grinned and pinched my cheeks. I swatted their hands away, like I always did, and headed towards the only other sane person there: my cousin.

"Hey, Haruhi!" She smiled at me as I took my place beside her. "I heard classes were cancelled for the rest of today," I told her. "Do you know why?"

One of the two girls standing in front of us answered. I realized that those girls had been talking to my cousin before I had arrived, and probably didn't welcome my interruption so much. To my surprise, neither of them seemed as put out as some of the other girls would have been. "The school is holding a campus-wide exhibition event for the next two days," she explained. "It's a really big annual event."

"What sort of things get exhibited?" I asked curiously. "Is it art, or what?"

The other girl turned to me. "Oh, it's a mix. There's a hall for art, and then there are dance shows in the auditorium. A few schools even do musical shows! It's really interesting!"

"Sounds like it!" I grinned back at her.

"What, you've never drunk it before?" I glanced behind me and spotted the twins harassing Renge. They were standing on either side of her and staring at the poor girl with such intensity that it must have been a little nerve-wracking for her.

"It's like the favourite drink for everyone in the host club right now!" Hikaru added.

"So as the manager, you have to drink it too!" Kaoru told her this in no uncertain terms. I giggled under my breath. What really got me about the whole thing was that they were both being totally serious about the whole instant coffee thing.

Renge was sweating and wiping her face with a handkerchief. "I-I know what instant coffee is!" She stammered with a nervous smile. "Ah, it's that right?" She held up a finger. "It's the one where you start all the way from planting the beans-"

"BZZT!" They made buzzing noises and crossed their arms in large Xs, denoting that she was wrong. I sweatdropped at their childish display. "It's completely different!" Hikaru started explaining. "There's not a single trace of coffee beans in it. You just boil the coffee powder with hot water and drink it like that," he sighed happily. "It's truly an amazing creation."

_It's just instant coffee…_ I sighed silently to myself as Kaoru continued. "Because even though it's coffee, it's not strong at all, but you get addicted to it for some reason."

"Oh yeah," Hikaru seemed to realize something and he sat up straighter. "We ran out of the club's supply of instant coffee…" They got up and made their way over to where Haruhi and I were, and placed their hands on my cousin's shoulders.

"Haruhi," they chorused cheerfully. "Go by some!"

Haruhi sagged slightly, and groaned. "Why do I have to go?"

"Because you're the only person who knows where to buy it from!" They said simultaneously. "We even offered it to our guests! And, anyway, it's part of your job!" I blinked at them. While they were talking, they were also for some odd reason, washing her hair and polishing her shoes, before they finally lifted her bodily (amongst the many confused stares of our classmates) and shoved her out the door. "Have a safe trip!"

I hopped down from the desk and stepped past them. "Wait up Haruhi!" I smiled at her. "I'll go with you, if you want."

"Hey, why do you have to go with her?" Kaoru asked, grabbing my elbow.

I shrugged and pulled out of his grip. "Because Haruhi might need some companionship and protection from perverts and cougars," I told them with a matter of fact tone. "And, anyway, I'm bored and no one cares if we leave or not." I grabbed Haruhi's arm and dragged her out of the classroom. "Let's go!"

We made it out of the class with Haruhi muttering under her breath. "Damn rich bastards," she groaned. "They can't even buy instant coffee by themselves."

"Haruhi-kun, Kyoko-chan," the two girls we had been speaking too had followed us out of the class. "Thank you for your work!" We must have looked confused, because they explained. "Because," they started. "Those two seem to be having a lot of fun! We're really glad, and it's all thanks to you two."

Haruhi and I stared at the girls, and then at each other. "Having fun?" Haruhi asked.

"I don't get it," I cocked my head slightly to the left. "What do you mean it's because of us?"

"We've been classmates with those two since middle school," one of them clarified. "They were never very open, and they never made friends with anyone to this extent. It was like they didn't want anyone else to get close to them except the other."

_So they were always alone,_ I thought to myself with a sad frown. _They felt like they could exist without the rest of the world, so long as they had each other. They wanted to shut everyone else out. _I wondered why they would do that. _It probably has to do with how they reacted when Haruhi and I could tell them apart…_

"Then the Host Club was started, and they started talking to everyone else again!" One of the girls said. Haruhi and I glanced back inside the classroom and spotted the twins laughing at something someone had said. I couldn't help smiling. "They've especially changed since the two of you came, so we're really happy! It's important for everyone to be happy every day, right?"

_This conversation got really deep, really fast,_ I could feel myself tearing up just a tad. "Well then," Haruhi smiled at the girls. "You're welcome. You're right, it is important for everyone to be happy."

"Thank you," I told them. "Now, come on Haruhi!" I grabbed her arm and began leading her down the corridor. "Even if you're not interested in the exhibition, I am! So let's go buy some instant coffee!"

oOo

"Ugh," I groaned as we carried back the brown paper bags of instant coffee mix. "Why did we have to buy so many?" I asked my cousin. "I'm pretty sure we bought out the whole shelf!"

Haruhi peered over at me with a half-smile. "I wasn't sure what flavour they wanted. Besides, they gave us the money to buy it so don't complain. Anyway," she peered into her own bag. "The guy at the checkout counter gave us some cute extras."

I glared at her. "You got sticking plaster, and I got a small packet of those cheap, wax crayons," I pointed out. "How the heck is that remotely cute?" The box was small, with five wax crayons inside. They had started melting, so the colours of some had melded together. I wondered where the checkout guy had been had been stashing it anyway.

My cousin opened her mouth to reply, when she suddenly slipped on a random banana peel. I couldn't have caught her, as my hands were really full, so I just watched as she fell. What? Don't look at me like that! It's a relatively short distance between the ground and her butt. God only knows the number of times I've slipped or tripped and fallen over.

Anyway, she would have fallen flat on her butt, had there not been a shower of lilac flower petals, a lot of twirling, and then someone catching her at the last minute. "It would be very bad if you got any scars on that cute face…" the person had a deep, but still feminine, voice. "My lady." We both blinked and turned to stare up at her I surprise. _How did she know Haruhi was a girl!? _

The girl was pretty, with short hair (like Haruhi's) and dark eyes that were slightly grey. Actually, she looked like a taller, older version of Haruhi. "Um…" I finally spoke, after a few moments of awkwardness. "Who are you?"

She smiled at me. "I am Amakusa Benio," she introduced herself with smooth flair. "I'm from Lobelia Academy." Oh, I knew that school. It was an all-girls school with a very feminist outlook on many things. I had wanted to go there, but then I'd been told that Haruhi was at Ouran and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see my cousin. "What about you lovely maidens?"

_Wait, _my eyes narrowed at the girl. _Is she…flirting with us!? _"I'm Fujioka Haruhi," Haruhi replied, apparently not sharing my suspicion. "And this is my cousin, Daichi Kyoko." I gave a small, two-fingered wave with a free hand.

"Well, thank you for saving my cousin," I grabbed Haruhi and pulled her away from Benio. "It was really nice to meet you and all, but we have to get back to our club now."

"Oh?" She looked interested. "What club would that be?"

"We're in the Host Club," Haruhi told her. I saw Benio's eyebrows raise, and something flashed in her eyes.

"Ah, the Host Club you say?" She suddenly smiled. "Then I will accompany you. My friends and I wanted to be able to see this famous club while we were here!" Without waiting for our reply, she walked past us and into the school. Haruhi and I glanced at each other, and then we shrugged and made our way to the Third Music Room where everyone else would be waiting.

We made it there in record time, and I pushed the door of the room open. There were two other Lobelia schoolgirls inside, and they were speaking to Tamaki who was dressed like a knight (the day's theme had been _Knights and Princesses_). They must have said something rather mean, as Tamaki rose to his feet. "That was rather harsh," he commented, still with a natural smile on his face. "Then what words would you desire?"

"Let's see," Benio draped her arms around Haruhi and I's shoulders and swept us into the room. _Okay, she's a bit like a female Tamaki-senpai,_ I scowled slightly_. I am not comfortable with this. _"If it were me, I would never leave my lover alone. We shall fight together!" She pulled us closer to her sides. "And we shall perish together, if we are not allowed to live!"

_Um…okay…? _I could see the shocked, horrified looks on Tamaki's face, and the annoyed stares of the twins. I remembered this morning. _Don't let anyone touch you so casually._ I slowly extricated myself from Benio's grip and slid away from her.

She paid no attention to my escape, focusing solely on Haruhi now. She got down on one knee, holding Haruhi's hand up like a knight before a princess (even if the picture was somewhat role reversed, as Haruhi was the one pretending to be a boy). "Even if my life ends, I swear to never leave your side for eternity!"

And then she kissed my cousin's hand. I blinked at the scene. _Well damn,_ I stared. _She __**is**__ the female version of Tamaki. Just a tiny bit more eloquent, but just as forward with their affection._ Tamaki-senpai just looked even more horrified by what he had just witnessed.

"Benibara-sama, you're late!" One of the girls spoke, the taller one with longer, ash-blonde hair. "And where did you pick up such a charming lady?" _Thank god, they've forgotten my presence. _I wondered how they could tell that Haruhi was a girl so easily, whereas no one else in the school seemed able to see through the blazer and short hair.

"Ah," Benio, or Benibara, got to her feet. "I found her just out there. I could tell she was female, even if she was wearing men's clothing. Behold!" She suddenly swept my cousin off her feet and stroked her cheek. "Her lucid, maidenly eyes!"

"Uh…thanks?" I think it may be a Fujioka thing to be able to deal with very strange occurrences in your life. I had no other explanation for why Haruhi wasn't freaking out and shoving her face away.

Benio frowned. "Actually, there was another one. Her cousin, I think…" I made a small sound and tried to back away in time, but the shortest one spotted me and dragged me over. "Ah, yes, Kyoko!" The three girls suddenly started petting us. "They both have such lovely skin…"

"Yes, they're both excellent material that can be sharpened into something brilliant!"

"Please stop stroking us," I said. "This is highly uncomfortable for me." Two pairs of arms suddenly reached forward and grabbed me.

Hikaru tugged on one of my pigtails, looking slightly put out. "What did we tell you about not letting people touch you so casually?" They both glared at the Lobelia girls from over the top of my head. Tamaki tried to do the same thing with Haruhi, but Benio punched him in the face. _Ouch…_ I winced slightly.

"Don't touch her, you snob!" She yelled. Tamaki scrambled backwards, babbling about how violent Benio was. I blinked down at him. _I'm violent,_ I thought to myself. Still, I wasn't sure I was comfortable with the way Benio was monopolizing my cousin. "They are all as pathetic as the rumours go," she smirked. "They're all just a bunch of randomly selected fiends with little or no history to them."

I glared at her. She had no right to say that! Kyouya pushed his glasses up slightly, and turned to her. He seemed to be the only person unfazed by anything that had happened. "Judging by your uniform, I'd say that you girls are from Lobelia Girls Academy, right?"

Benio smirked. "Indeed." Suddenly, the lights went dark and a single spot light shone on Benio who was, oddly, in an entirely different outfit. "Lobelia~" she sang, in a low tenor.

"Lobelia~" sang the blonde, also in a different outfit, and in an alto.

"Lobelia~" the shortest one sang, in a rather high soprano.

Benio took off her hat. She had a white lily in her mouth by the stalk. "St. Lobelia Acadmey, high school junior, Amakusa Benio!"

"Lobelia~!"

"High school junior," the blonde held up a fan. "Maihara Chizuru!"

"Lobelia~!"

"High school freshman," the youngest one smiled while holding a white lily. "Tsuwabuki Hinako!"

"_Lobelia~_!"

"We are the White Lily Society of St. Lobelia Girls' Academy," Benio posed under a spotlight. "Also known as…" she suddenly threw off her hat and they tore of their clothes to reveal very extravagant and peacock-like outfits in which they posed in. "ZUKA CLUB!"

The whole Host Club stared at them with confusion. I blinked. And then I blinked again. Haruhi caught my gaze and shrugged like, _I don't know what's going on either_. I stared at the three girls, and then I spoke. "The hell?"

The twins suddenly burst into laughter behind me. They were laughing so hard that they both had tears were pouring from their eyes. "_Zuka Club!?_" They guffawed. "Awesome naming sense! Zuka Club! Damn, my stomach hurts! That's hilarious! They even went through the trouble of hiding their costumes under their uniforms!"

"You guys need to calm down," I sighed, staring down at them. They looped their arms over my shoulders, still snickering but trying to muffle it by biting their lips.

"But seriously!" Hikaru covered his mouth in an attempt to keep down his laughter. "What sort of name is that?"

"You cannot underestimate the Zuka Club!"

Renge's voice rang out, and then she rose out of the ground in that strange, high-powered motor pedestal she always uses to appear and disappear at odd times. I had stopped wondering how many places that thing appeared in, as I had realised that I probably didn't want to know.

"I may not know what instant coffee is," she smirked, holding a teacup-ful of the stuff. "But you can leave it to me to be moe about a girl's school. St. Lobelia Academy is the garden of maidens!" She clasped her hands to her cheek. "Within that garden, the Zuka Club are a gathering of women who are the strongest advocates of female supremacy!"

"That should not be a thing," I muttered. Yeah, I believed in equality and stuff, but I don't believe that any one gender is more superior to the other. That's what sexism is, and that has caused a lot of problems.

"It is society that prides itself on its thirty-year history!" Renge continued, really getting into her speech now. "It is a society of women, by women and for women! Their activities include: the maiden tea party, the maiden discussion, and, above all, the musical show which is performed only by the greatest members of the society!"

"Wow, Renge," I stared at her with a mix of impressed awe, and slight confusion. "You sure know a lot about them."

"Indeed," Kyouya agreed. "As always, you cover a wide field of knowledge."

She smiled demurely. "There is nothing more than admiration on my part," she said, beginning to sink back into the ground. "That it is an all girl's school, and so has no guys makes is useless to me." I sweatdropped as she began to sink back into the ground. _That boy-crazed otaku…_

"A maiden's beauty is a pure energy that rivals all things," Chizuru explained. "Even riches and lust cannot compare to it."

"Because we're women, we're just women," Hinako folded her arms across her chest, her resolve strong. Even if they were all female supremacists, and therefore the reversed version of chauvinists, I couldn't help being a little bit drawn to their strength. "We are tired of this oppression of our gender by men."

Kaoru tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned to him curiously. He pointed at the bag of coffee that I was still holding. "So how much did you guys buy?" They were both, apparently, done listening to the girls' speech. I sat down on the couch, between him and Hikaru, and watched Hikaru play some sort of Mario game on his game station while Kaoru picked through the bag. Soon, my attention was gone too.

"Ah," Hikaru sighed, tapping away. "I'm tired of laughing. Can all of you just go home now?" The rest of the Host Club was similarly occupied doing stuff they would normally do if we didn't have customers.

"My, are you all speechless before our noble love?" Hinako started laughing.

I turned to Kaoru. "What is she talking about?" I asked him. "I wasn't listening."

"Who knows?" He shrugged, pulling out another container of coffee. "Oh, this is a new flavour. We haven't had this one before, have we?"

I shook my head. "No. Haruhi and I weren't sure what flavour of instant coffee to buy for you guys. I think that one is nutmeg. We also got one with chocolate…" I began pointing out the different flavours.

"Stop teasing them Hinako," the blonde girl, Chizuru, pulled off a fake moustache that Benio had been wearing. "They're just worried because their Host techniques don't work on us."

Benio hummed and stared at us from beneath slightly lowered lashes. "It was still worthwhile to have come and peeked at the notorious Host Club."

Honey blinked and turned to Takashi. "We're notorious?"

Takashi shrugged. "Who knows?"

Benio turned back to my cousin and tipped up her chin. "I can't believe they are forcing two helpless female students into their schemes!"

"Hey," I protested. "I am _not_ helpless! I could cream your sorry, female supremacist asses!" What? I was getting tired of her and her cronies. They were all getting on my nerves. Thank you for saving my cousin, you've said what you wanted to say, now leave.

"See?" Benio pointed at me. "They're even teaching her such vile words!" I sweatdropped. _Wow, I know I've said this before, but seriously: Tamaki genderbend right here._ "I don't care if your president is a pretty halfer or not, but using handsome looks to create fictitious love to fool the hearts of maidens is complete discrimination against women!"

Huh…you know…they were sort of right. But the girls were the ones who fell for it. It's not like the club's purposes are hidden. For crying out loud, when you have to line up behind twenty other girls to have _alone time_ with a guy, you're probably not the only one on his mind.

"To call this a club and use it for your own greedy gain and profit is totally inexcusable!" Benio barrelled on. Okay, she had my interest now. "Therefore, I swear that I will abolish the Host Club at once! Hail Zuka Club!"

**Oh, look, the Zuka Club is here! Yeah, when I first watched this episode I couldn't help agreeing with a few of the things they mentioned. Still not a female supremacist though, just a feminist. Although my mom says I shouldn't call myself that. I should call myself something like an equalist, or a humanitarian. **

**This is the woman who fought tooth and nail for a law to be passed in Nigeria negating female attire to be used as a reason for rape (you know how people say the girl was 'asking for it' because of the way she was dressed), and also was a leading member of a panel against domestic violence. Feminism just means you believe men and women should be treated with equal merit. If you believe that, you are a feminist. I hate it when people act like it's the name that's the problem.**

**Sorry for the rant. Read and review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**So I got a lot of reviews about the last chapter, which is good because I want to hear your opinions (so long as no one rants or insults me or my writing). Thank you for your reviews, and thank you Phantom Bride of Gondor for your messages ^.^**

**I do not own anything, except Kyoko (do I have to say this all the time? If I owned OHSHC do you think I would be here?)**

**Secrets and That Really Strange Plan**

We all stared at the three Lobelia girls with shock. It took a while for their words to actually process. Kyouya recovered fastest though, and pushed up his glasses. "I see," he smiled. "I understand your intentions clearly but, do you think you could you come back at a later time to discuss this?"

Benio smirked and narrowed her eyes. "What, are you too afraid to face us?"

"No," Kyouya sighed and gestured to one of the couches where Tamaki-senpai was sleeping with a white blanket and a brown teddy bear. "But our president is still in bed from the apparent culture shock."

I shrugged. "Tamaki-senpai doesn't seem to be very good with this much change in such a short amount of time."

"So Tama-chan is a very sleepy man right now!" Honey added.

"WAKE HIM UP!" Benio yelled. _With that level of noise, we won't have to_, I thought to myself_. _Just tem, Haruhi returned, holding a tray of instant coffee. I stared at my cousin with a blank, _are-you-fucking-kidding-me_ face. _Haruhi, does this look like the time to be offering coffee? Weren't you following the conversation at all? _

Chances are that she wasn't. My cousin is very smart, and _really_ cute, but sometimes she can be really naïve about people.

"Um, I made coffee," she offered them the tray of steaming beverages. "Would you like some?"

"Thank you!" Benio thanked her with way too much gratitude than was needed. "How kind of you!"

"You are like a jewel in a dunghill!" Chizuru added graciously. I arched an eyebrow but opted to not say anything. Apparently, they had forgotten about me, which was good. They were scary, and could have been lesbians. No offense to lesbians, I just don't roll that way, okay?

"This coffee made by you, fair maiden, has such a lovely fragrance!" Benio accepted her cup.

Haruhi smiled slightly. "It's just instant coffee…"

"Then we should have a tea party amongst us females!" Hinako enthused. I immediately marched over to her and pulled her away from those girls by the back of her collar. As things were progressing, she would have probably agreed and gone off with them. Haruhi and I share many genetic quirks, for some reason, and one of those was a love for food. Sad, but ultimately true…

Our voices managed to wake Tamaki up, and he suddenly ran at us. "You guys are wrong! What productivity if there in a love between two women? Why do you think God made Adam and Eve-!"

Suddenly, he slipped on one of those oddly, yet conveniently placed banana peels, and plunged a finger into Hinako's steaming hot cup of coffee. "OW! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!"

"Gosh," Haruhi walked over to him with the plaster she had gotten from the supermarket. "Be careful…" she wrapped the sticky tape around his finger several times, even though I wasn't sure the tiny burn really merited a plaster. I then noticed that Tamaki was blushing very slightly, and then I smirked. _Aw, look at that dork!_

I turned to the Lobelia school girls with a hand on my hip. "You know, the Host Club isn't as horrible as you guys are making it out to be," I pointed out. "You've only been here, what, fifteen minutes? Some rumours, and a single visit during closing time hardly counts as evidence."

Chizuru nodded. "I understand what you're saying, Kyoko. Still, do you know everything that goes on in the Host Club? Are you sure they aren't hiding anything from you?"

I stared at her out of narrowed eyes. _But it's true,_ a part of me pointed out. I didn't know much about the Host Club, other than that it catered to providing girls with something to do between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. But then, wasn't that what most clubs did?

"I see this isn't even worth discussing." I turned to Benio and my eyes widened. She was hugging my cousin to her chest. "Now that I know the full state of affairs, we cannot leave the maidens in a club like this! We shall process their admission papers to Lobelia immediately, and bring her into the Zuka Club!"

Wait, what?!

At that, I suppose Haruhi was jolted into the full reality of the situation. "Wait a minute!" She pushed out of Benio's hold. "I'm sure there are a lot of misunderstandings here!" She waved her hands, trying to diffuse the situation. "Like saying Tamaki-senpai is a halfer…"

"He is!" Honey chirped. "He's half French and half Japanese!" _I don't see why that matters much though…_

Haruhi sweatdropped and jumped onto another topic. "Well, I don't think it's right to make false charges and say that the Host Club has little history or anything…"

"Well, we don't!" Hikaru shrugged. "This is only our second year!"

"The club was established when tono entered high school!" Kaoru shrugged.

"Yay for two years of progress," I rested my elbow on Haruhi's shoulder as she searched for a new line of argument. I could tell that she was getting a little weary of all of her points being proven wrong.

"Well, it is going over the line to say that the Host Club is in this for its own greed and profit…"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I mean, it's not like we're selling anything, or doing much of anything to make money for ourselves off the customers…"

"Actually," Kyouya suddenly spoke up. "It's a point system." Haruhi and I turned to stare at him. Actually, I glared at him while Haruhi looked like someone had placed a heavy concrete statue on her head. "Customers can redeem their points on our club's website in order to win prizes on our auction of items."

"Why did we not know about this?" I glared at Kyouya some more.

He ignored me, and the knives I was shooting into his body from my eyes. "Oh, look Haruhi," he showed her the website page he was on. "Your mechanical pencil was auctioned off for 30,000 yen. And, Kyoko, your hair accessory was auctioned off for 45,000 yen. Aren't you both pleased?"

Haruhi and I sprinted to the computer and stared. "That's the pencil I thought I lost!" Haruhi yelled.

"That's my hair band with the white rose clip!" I snarled at Kyouya-senpai. "That was one of my favourites!"

"This is the first time I've heard of this!" Haruhi yelled at Kyouya-senpai. "I didn't know we were getting money for this!" I knew that we were, but I thought it was for general club funds. You know, the tea and dessert. I just didn't know we were getting it by auctioning off items, and then pocketing the proceeds!

The whole thing was kind of ingenious, but I was still really pissed off. "You guys shouldn't sell our belongings!" I yelled angrily. "How did you even get our stuff? My clip was in my backpack!"

"You guys are thieves!" Haruhi accused.

"We're not thieves!" The twins denied simultaneously from behind us. "Those things were on the floor!" When we turned around to glare at them, they adopted an air of innocence.

"Then, pray tell, why the hell didn't you return them?" I asked in a sickly sweet voice. They both gulped and avoided my gaze. My eyes hardened and I folded my arms across my chest. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Tamaki then started crying. "I'm sorry my daughters!" He sobbed. "It's not like we meant to hide all of this! Here, Haruhi, I'll give you my mechanical pencil!" He held up a mechanical pencil with a bear head at the top. "Look, it has a cute bear!"

"I don't want it," Haruhi deadpanned.

"Then, I'll tell you all about my birth, along with the marvellous memories of my seventeen years!"

"What a narcissistic gift," I scowled, looking up from where I was glaring at the twins.

"That's the most irrelevant information that was new to me today," Haruhi said. Tamaki reeled back with shock, and then disappeared into another one of his impressive emo corners. I turned my back on the twins and went to stand with my cousin.

"You poor dears," Chizuru cooed. "You're in shock because of all the lies, right?"

"Leave those people and come join us!" Hinako urged. I felt a little bit of my resolve waver. Haruhi might not have that much of a reason to be pissed, but I did. That clip had been one of my favourites. I had bought it with _my_ money, and it looked really nice with most of my dresses. The fact that the twins had gone and 'found' it (note the sarcasm), and then sold it online to a bunch of rich girls that could probably afford a million similar ones really pissed me off.

Benio smiled at us warmly. "The maidens are disturbed right now," she said. "It's a shock to them, isn't it? We shall come back and ask for your answer tomorrow, after the exhibition. Until then…" they twirled out the door like ballerinas in a flurry of white light and cherry petals. "…adieu!"

Haruhi and I watched the doors shut behind them, and then we turned and stared fiercely at the rest of the Host Club. They all gulped and looked terrified. They should. I could cream all of them except Mori-senpai and Honey, and I would never do that. I don't think they really had much to do with it. I was sure most of the blame lay with the twins and Kyouya, and _maybe_ Tamaki.

"I feel that we too shall excuse ourselves for the day," Haruhi said icily.

"We have other things to do," I added, my tone just as cold, and then we turned and walked out of the room. I shut the door behind us with more force than was needed, and stalked down the hall. "I can't believe those _idiots!_" I seethed. "I can't believe they lied to us like that."

Haruhi sighed as we made our way towards the class where she had dropped her bag. "Yeah, the fact that they did this without telling us really pisses me off. I mean, they could have just _asked_ for my pencil! It was just one of those freebies you get in a pack of other stuff. I only liked it because it was easy to write with."

"Well, it's not like my clip was a freebie," I folded my arms across my chest as I waited for her to grab her things. "I bet they just did this because I'm their _toy_, so they think they can do whatever to me and I won't say a word." I pictured the twins smirking faces, and punched the wall with all the anger I felt.

Haruhi sweatdropped. "Kyoko, you've dented the plaster." I looked over at the point of contact. There was a small crack there. I sweatdropped. _Whoops…that was totally unintentional…_

"Sorry," I rubbed the back of my head. "Now, where did I keep my…ugh…"

"What is it?" Haruhi asked, seeing my disgruntled expression.

"I left my bag in the Host Club," I told her. "I forgot that I had taken it there before we went out to buy instant coffee. I have to go get it," I turned to leave. "You can start going home, if you want. I'll see you later."

"Alright," Haruhi nodded. "I'll see you at home."

The walk back up the stairs was still long, but I was angry (or, at least somewhat irritated) and so that helped keep my mind off the journey. The closer I got to the Third Music Room, the more annoyed I became. However, when I got there, the entire Host Club was conversing in some sort of huddle and they didn't notice me until I was halfway into the room.

"Kyo-chan!" I staggered backwards as Honey attacked me in a tearful hug. "We're sorry we sold your clip!" He bawled into my shoulder. "We didn't mean to make you upset! Please don't be angry with us!"

I blinked. "Uh…" I patted Honey on the head. "That's okay Honey. I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with the people directly involved with the purloining and reselling of my clip," I shot a pointed glare at Kyouya-senpai and the twins.

Honey sniffled and looked up at me. "So, does this mean you're not transferring to Lobelia?"

I blinked again, and then cocked my head to the side. "Uh…I don't know exactly…" They say that a devil you know is better than an angel that you don't know. "I have to think. I'm still a bit upset, but I won't leave because I'm angry. Anyway, I only came here to get my bag," I put Honey down and grabbed my bag. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"We'll walk with you," Hikaru suddenly appeared on one side.

"We want to talk to you," Kaoru appeared on my other side. And then they both frogmarched me out of the room and down the hallway.

"Hey, what gives?" I snapped, pulled out of their grip. "What do you guys even want anyway?"

Hikaru was frowning at the ground with his hands in his pockets, while Kaoru was rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding my gaze. "W-we're sorry for, you know," Hikaru finally glanced at me. "Taking your stuff and selling it. We didn't know it would upset you."

"Yeah," Kaoru nodded. "We wouldn't have done it if we had known." I arched an eyebrow and folded my arms across my chest. I didn't say a word. After a few minutes of silence, they finally looked me in the eye.

"So, don't leave and go to Lobelia Academy," Hikaru scowled, and simultaneously blushed. His eyes darted to the left. "Earlier you said that I shouldn't worry," he muttered. "That you weren't going anywhere."

"You're really special to us," Kaoru looked in the other direction. "So we don't want you to leave." _Aw, they're blushing. They both look so cute!_

I had said that, hadn't I? I had meant that I wasn't going anywhere _at that very moment_, but I suppose they were taking it to mean _all the time_. I sighed and let my arms dangle by my sides. "I forgive you," I told them. "Just…you know…don't ever do that again."

They smiled at me, and I smiled back slightly. "Does this mean you won't go to Lobelia Academy?" Kaoru asked. I shrugged, and then nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. Someone needs to keep the two of you in line," I reached out and pinched their ears. They both hissed in pain, and I released them. "I guess now we just have to figure out a way to prevent Haruhi from leaving."

They rubbed their bruised ears, and then slung their arms around me. "Don't worry, tono already has an idea…"

oOo

**The Next Day…**

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I was rolling on the floor of the Host Club and laughing. "HOLY SHIT, MY STOMACHE HURTS! OH GOD, WHY? HAHAHAHAHA!" I finally rolled against the wall and just lay there, half curled into a cramped, laughing heap. "Oh shit, I'm dying," I gasped as I felt my stomach spasm with laughter. "Oh my god, oh god, help…"

The rest of the Host Club gazed at me with mixtures of confusion, blank apathy, and cheerfulness, as though they were wondering why I was laughing like a madman (or madwoman). But seriously, if you could have seen what I had, you would have doubled over as well.

Tamaki-senpai's plan, basically, was to dress up the entire Host Club like _girls_. You know, wigs, makeup, fake lashes, fake _breasts, _the whole works. Well, all except Mori-senpai. It would look _beyond_ weird if he donned a dress. He was dressed like some sort of soldier, but with a cymbal. Even Kyouya-senpai was dressed as a female, and I felt like this more than made up for the loss of my clip.

Honey bounced over to me. "Kyo-chan, Kyo-chan, do I look pretty?" He twirled on the spot.

I stopped laughing enough to smile at him. "Yeah, Honey-senpai, you look really cute." And he did, actually. "I just can't get over this," and then I dissolved back into laughter.

Kyouya pushed up his glasses a bit, making then gleam. "I suggest you stop laughing," he warned me.

I snickered and stared at him. "Or what? Let it be known that if I decide to leave Ouran, Haruhi will probably follow me, and you'll lose a ton of customers." It felt good to blackmail the Shadow King right back. His eyebrows rose and he stared at me with a mix of irritation and some respect. I smiled back at him and climbed to my feet. "I'm sorry Kyouya-senpai," I apologised. "I'll stop laughing now." He nodded at me gratefully.

"They're coming!" Hikaru hissed from where he was listening at the door.

"Alright!" Tamaki struck a pose. I felt the urge to burst out laughing again, but I held it in. "Everyone, to your places!" The Host Club members immediately dived into different hiding spots, while I walked over to the light switch and turned it off, before diving behind one of the chairs.

A second later, the door opened and the Lobelia girls, along with my cousin, appeared in the doorway. And then, Hikaru got up.

"Ouran~!"

And then Kaoru. "Ouran~!"

And then Mori-senpai. "Ouran~!" _Wow, that's a deep voice…_

And then Kyouya. "Ouran~!" _He is actually a good singer,_ I thought.

"Ouran~!" Honey sang, not very tunefully. More like the cute, out of tune voice of a little child. You still clap and cheer because it's a little kid and they are cute.

The lights flickered on, and then it was Tamaki's turn. "Ouran~!" The Host Club posed. "Host Club~!" They sang the last bit together, with parts. It was sort of impressive, for a bunch of people who had probably never been in a choir. "Welcome!" They beamed at Haruhi and the Lobelia school girls.

The looks on their faces were kind of like mine when I had first been told what Tamaki-senpai's plan was. A mix of _are-you-fucking-kidding-me_ and sheer confusion. Tamaki whirled himself off the couch and walked over to them. "Oh, Haruhi!" He held out a hand. "Welcome!"

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan!" Honey did a twirl. "Look, I'm a princess! Do I look cute?"

I walked out from behind the couch as Benio snapped out of her confused daze. "What is the meaning of this?" She roared. "Are you trying to make fun of women and insult our culture?"

"Insult?" Tamaki looked like the thought had never occurred to him. "No, of course not. Everything is as planned." I went over to stand beside Haruhi. She barely noticed me, too transfixed by Tamaki-senpai. He actually didn't look half-bad as a woman. "If you are a commoner, then this is the ultimate skill that will make crying kids smile!" He suddenly struck a pose, along with the rest of the club. "It's called The Big Extra strategy!"

_I can't do this. I'm going to laugh, I can feel it._ I bit down on the inside of my cheek, hard. Haruhi still appeared to be partially comatose.

"Hmph," Tamaki smirked. "I'm sure carefully brought up Lobelia girls wouldn't know about this," he said smugly. "But commoners are very susceptible to extras. Indeed, Haruhi may be attracted to the intrigue of the Zuka Club, but if you stay here, you can have both _oniisamas_, and _oneesamas_!"

Kyouya –senpai kind of looked like one of those mothers that, if you ever came home and complained that you were being bullied, would arrange for the both the bully and their parents to be secretly murdered.

"With this scheme, Haruhi can taste what it is like being in the Zuka Club, while still remaining in the Host Club!" He began preening in front of my, still totally confused, cousin. "Look, look Haruhi, don't I look beautiful?"

"We're the Hitachiin sisters!" Hikaru and Kaoru chorused in high-pitched voices. "Which one is the most beautiful?"

"Haru-chan, Kyo-chan!" Honey waved. "You can both call me _oneesama_, alright?"

Kyouya and Mori just stood there and looked beautiful/handsome/aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.

Benio shook her head to dispel any remaining bewilderment. "Ha, you think the fair maidens would fall for something so completely-!"

At that moment, Haruhi burst out laughing. And, as she lost it, so did I. What? I'd been holding it in for a while. We both collapsed laughing. "I CAN'T HANDLE IT! I DON'T GET THIS!"

"OH GOD, MY STOMACH HURTS!" We leaned on each other as we screamed with laughter. "WHY WAS THIS EVEN AN IDEA?"

"I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE IDIOTS, BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THIS BAD!" Haruhi fell back on the floor when she tried to get up, and opted to simply just lie there while clutching her stomach.

"Are we that funny?" The twins and Honey suddenly started chasing us around the room, yelling at us to call them _oneesama_. Haruhi and I were practically crying with laughter, and the laughter cramps were getting pretty painful.

"Oh my god, stop!" I gasped and sat up, trying to inhale enough air. "I can't breathe!"

Haruhi managed to quell her mirth as well. "What are you guys even doing?" She giggled.

Hikaru shrugged. "Well, we want to work in the Host Club with you and Kyoko. It wouldn't be much fun if the two of you left."

Haruhi smiled, and then got up and turned to Benio, who looked surprised that the Host Club's weird plan had actually _worked_. Well, Haruhi was a weird girl. As was I. "I'm sorry," she dusted herself off and turned to Benio apologetically. "There are many types of people in the world, and your way of thinking is unique and interesting," she smiled up at the older girl. "But I have a dream that I want to achieve, and that's why I came to Ouran. I never had any intention of leaving."

"Whoop, did you hear that you guys?" I hugged Haruhi around the shoulders, from behind. "She isn't leaving!"

"Haruhi!" Tamaki looked like he wanted to do what I was doing. Mori clapped his cymbal while Kyouya…I don't know if he was pissed, or happy. His face was hidden by his fan. You know what, I'm going to go with happy. "Wait, if you were never going to leave, then why did you get so angry yesterday?"

"Anyone would get mad if their things were stolen!" She snapped. "I liked that pencil because it was easy to write with!"

"Oh," Tamaki looked apologetic. "I'm sorry…but that's why I offered to give you my bear pencil…!"

"I said I don't want it," Haruhi deadpanned. I unhooked one hand from around Haruhi's shoulders and used it to pat her head soothingly.

"We will not give up on the fair maidens!" We all turned to stare at the Lobelia schoolgirls. "We swear that we will rescue you from this place someday, and we will destroy the Host Club!" _Woman, we do not need rescuing! _I glared at her out of narrowed eyes. _Do you not understand that? Kindly GTFO._ "Well then, _jai jien_!" And, with that, they twirled out like freaking ballerinas, in a flurry of purple petals.

And then they slipped on three oddly, but conveniently placed banana peels that happened to be on the floor in their path. There was silence for a minute, after they left, and I sighed. "Well, this _has_ been a strange 48 hours, hasn't it?" Everyone nodded in agreement and I hugged Haruhi a little tighter because I wanted to.

oOo

I was waiting for Haruhi downstairs. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but she was sure as hell taking her sweet time. I heard two pairs of footsteps behind me, and I turned. "Kyoko, you haven't gone home yet?" The twins stopped in front of me.

I shrugged. "I'm waiting for Haruhi to finish…whatever it is she is doing," I turned to them. "Are you guys going home now?"

"Yeah," Hikaru nodded to a black car pulling up to the front of the school "But we wanted to give you something before we left."

"We didn't get a chance to give it to you earlier," Kaoru smiled at me. Hikaru reached into his bag and pulled out a small, fancy-looking black box. It looked like it was covered in felt, and silver ribbons were tied around it.

"Here," he handed it to me. I took it carefully, and then I stared at them. "Well?" Hikaru looked half-impatient, and half-embarrassed. "Aren't you going to open it?"

I pulled at the ribbon until it came loose, and then I opened the top. My eyes widened in shock. Inside was a white rose hairclip that was similar to my own, only it was covered in tiny diamond-like crystals. It was beautiful, it was gorgeous…

It was also probably _way_ out of my budget. "You guys…you didn't have to do this!" I wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry, I can't accept it!" I pushed it back at them.

Kaoru frowned. "What, don't you like it?" He asked. "Did you want a different colour or something?"

I blanched and shook my head quickly. "No, no, I do like it! It's completely gorgeous! I could never afford anything so pretty, which is why I can't accept it. It looks so expensive!"

The twins glanced at each other, and then Hikaru grabbed me and held me still while Kaoru slid the clip into the side of my hair. "There," Hikaru smiled, twirling me around to face him. "You look pretty cute!" I blushed and lowered my gaze.

"Think of it as an apology gift," Kaoru suggested. "You know, for selling your old one."

I reached up and touched the clip gently, and then I felt my eyes tingle. _You will not cry,_ I scolded myself. _Nope, suck it up and say thank you!_ I beamed at the twins and yanked them into a large hug. "Thanks you guys," I murmured. Quickly, before I could think better of it, I kissed them on the cheek closest to me. "OKTHANKSBYE!" I sprinted away as fast as my legs could take me, hands over my mouth and eyes wide.

I didn't remember that I had left Haruhi behind until I was about four blocks away.


	20. Chapter 20

**I have 120+ reviews...I AM SO HAPPY *does happy dance* I LOVE EVERYONE THAT REVIEWED AND EVERYONE THAT FOLLOWED/FAVOURITED THIS STORY *throws sparkles at you***

**I don't own OHSHC. So, last chapter, Kyoko kissed the twins on their cheeks as a thank you (because she can be super affectionate that way) but she's also a super shy bunny, ain't dat right?**

**Kyoko: Shut up and let them read the chapter**

**House-Crashers Can Be Annoying (Unless They Bring Cake)**

After the cultural exhibition, the school had given us a long was mostly supposed to be a time of respite for the people that had spent time working during the exhibition, but a holiday is a holiday, and I would not be denied my lazing rights.

Haruhi, however, had decided to be all industrious. In all honesty, she was making me feel bad for flopping down on the couch while she swept our room, so I had told her that I would clean up the house while she went shopping. Ranka-san hadn't come back home since last night, but he was supposed to be back in a few hours.

Currently, I was home alone, which was alright as I'd been home along often enough. I had donned some pretty worn-out blue denim shorts, and a black tank top. I had thrown on one of the aprons from the kitchen, the white one with the silhouette of cats on the hems. I was even getting into the spirit of cleaning. Haruhi's home was nice and relatively neat already, and cleaning took my mind off yesterday.

_Ugh…_ I covered my eyes with my arm and groaned. I can't believe I did that. I must have been happier than I'd thought. Why else would I kiss those two perverts? Apart from the fact that they had, you know, bought me a really nice gift.

The clip was in its box and in my suitcase. There was _no_ way I was going to wear it anywhere. If it got stolen while I had it, then I would probably never forgive myself, even if the crystals weren't actually diamonds (and I doubted that they were. They were probably diamante crystals).

As I was dusting the top of the television, I heard a key turning in the lock. Haruhi was back. "Oh, Haruhi," I dropped the duster in the kitchen and wiped my hands on my apron on my way to the front door. "Please tell me you remembered to buy the…" I froze and blinked.

"Ah, Kyo-chan!" Honey beamed at me. "We brought cake!"

"Hi Kyoko!" The twins made matching peace signs at me. "Cute apron!"

I stared at the Host Club that, for some reason, were now standing in the doorway of my home. Haruhi stood in the middle of them with a weary look on her face. "Uh huh…" I nodded after a few seconds. "Okay, everyone take off your shoes before you come inside. Haruhi," I grabbed my cousin by the arm. "Can I have a word with you?"

As the Host Club made their way into the house, I proceeded to drag her away into the small bedroom that we both shared. We both shared the bed, seeing as we were both rather small, and Haruhi didn't mind my cuddling so much.

I closed the door behind us, and then turned to Haruhi. "What the absolute heck?" I stared at her. "How the hell did this happen?" I hissed at her. "You were gone for maybe twenty minutes! Where did these people come from?"

Haruhi held up her hands. "I honestly don't know. They were just hanging around the outside of the building and attracting a crowd. I think some people thought they were part of the yakuza, but Tamaki calmed the landlady down."

I frowned and huffed. "That doesn't explain why you let them up," I folded my arms across my chest and sighed. "I bet this was Tamaki-senpai's idea," I muttered under my breath. "One of his plans to _see what a commoner lives like_." Their odd fascination with Haruhi and I was beginning to get on my nerves.

Haruhi patted me on the shoulder with a small smile. "Come on, it won't be that bad," she tried to comfort me. "Honey-senpai brought some cakes for us to eat." I cheered up instantly, and we walked back out in time to overhear Tamaki instructing everyone else to curl up in order to create space as _it was a method created to conserve space in commoner homes_.

My eyes narrowed. "I expect nothing from these people."

Haruhi exhaled loudly, and then spun in the direction of the kitchen. "We'll be making tea then," she called.

Hikaru twisted around slightly. "Oh, if you guys are making tea, here's some red tea my dad brought from Africa. Here," he held up a red and orange packet to me. It smelled amazing, I thought, like orange sunsets and earth.

"It smells nice," I smiled, but I wasn't sure how to prepare it. Ah well, Haruhi probably did. "Thank you."

"It's pretty good with milk tea," Kaoru told us. "You have milk, right?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we do…" I turned to Haruhi in question. She was the one who had gone shopping. Haruhi glanced back at me and half-shrugged, and half-nodded. I wasn't sure what that meant, but I decided to go with the affirmative. "Okay, we have milk." Haruhi and I disappeared into the kitchen. I untwisted the packet while Haruhi searched for our milk. "Uh…Haruhi?"

"Hmm?" She glanced back at me curiously.

I held up something that looked like a rather small teapot. "Can we use this to make the tea?" I asked her. "Don't you have a bigger teapot?"

Haruhi shrugged. "We had one, but it cracked so we had to throw it out. The _kyuusu_ works just as well." I nodded, and we started preparing the tea. We finished a lot faster than if just one person had done it.

"Haruhi, Kyoko…" Kaoru spoke up, voice slightly shaky but mostly apologetic. I turned to stare at him. "You don't have to use the tea. We'll just have water…"

"Huh, really?" My cousin turned to stare at them as well. "But we already made it." I poured the tea into the cups we had found in the cupboards. We didn't have enough matching sets, so a few matched, and a few didn't. Haruhi carried the cups to the table and arranged them while I packed away the milk and dumped the _kyuusu_ in the sink to wash up later.

I took off my apron too, and hung it on one of the hooks in the kitchen, before walking out of the kitchen. I decided to sit next to Haruhi, as that was the only available space left, and I was still a little shy of the twins. "Kyo-chan, Haru-chan, you guys can choose the cake first!" Honey opened the box he had been holding to display three cakes: a chocolate one, a strawberry one, and one that looked like mango.

They all looked so delicious. "Really?" Haruhi asked. "We can choose?"

"Yeah," Hikaru smirked. "I mean, we eat like this all the time-!" Tamaki and Kaoru clapped their hands over his mouth.

Haruhi and I looked at each other. Honestly, chocolate is my favourite type of cake, but Haruhi really likes strawberries. And anyway, I like almost all cakes so I didn't really mind which one we chose. "Then I guess we'll have the strawberry one!"

"Yay!" Honey cheered as he handed us our cakes. "You guys like strawberries too? Strawberry cake is my favourite kind of cake!" I wanted to glomp him so much at that moment but there was cake in front of me and I could not look away. I did notice that Tamaki and the twins appeared to be writhing in agony where they were sitting, but they were weirdoes and I wasn't about to get drawn into that.

"Thank you for the cake, Honey-senpai!" I smiled at him. "I really love sweets!" Honey beamed back at me, and I prepared to eat my cake. Suddenly, a strawberry landed on the edge of my plate. I looked up in surprise. Mori-senpai was taking strawberries out of his plate, and placing it on Haruhi and I's plates.

He dropped another one on Haruhi's plate, and gazed at us. "You both like strawberries, right?"

I blinked at him. _Mori-senpai, can I marry you?_ I did not say this, however. Instead, I just grinned and nodded. "Yeah, we do!"

"Thanks Mori-senpai!" Haruhi thanked him as well. He smiled back at us. Suddenly, Tamaki and the twins began crying and banging their fists on the ground like something terrible had just happened. I stared at them blankly. "Um…what are you guys doing?" They didn't answer, and simply nursed their aching fists while Haruhi and I started on our cakes. "Oh my god, this is beautiful," I licked a bit of whipped cream off my fork.

"I know," Haruhi agreed. "I've never tasted anything so sweet and delicious!" I could tell that we were both emitting happy sparkles, like that time in the school cafeteria when Hikaru gave us his lunch. _Some people eat like this without a care,_ I thought to myself as I took small bites of cake and cream, saving the strawberries for last.

Finally, we were all finished. Honey-senpai sighed happily. "Ah, my stomach's getting hungry after that cake."

"Oh yeah," Hikaru glanced up at the clock on the wall. "It's past noon already."

"No lunch yet?" The twins and Tamaki asked simultaneously.

Haruhi and I sweatdropped. "Can you guys not live in such an endlessly free lifestyle?" She said.

"We weren't even expecting you, so we haven't got round to preparing lunch yet," I folded my arms across my chest.

Kyouya-senpai stood up. "Well, that's to be expected," he said. "Since we're the ones dropping by out of the blue, we'll pay for the meal. How about we order your favourite sushi?"

"Don't do it Haruhi!" I grabbed her arm and stared at Kyouya out of narrowed eyes. "It'd be like selling your soul!" I didn't really mean that, I was kidding, but Kyouya-senpai did charge very steep interests on loans and favours. I remembered, with a shudder, the outfits the twins had forced me into when I had to repay Kyouya for giving me their address and skipping the club for the day.

Haruhi sweatdropped slightly at my dramatics, and then turned to Kyouya-senpai. "Uh, it's okay!" She told him. "I'm scared of the consequences of being treated by you!"

He smirked at us with amusement. "Don't worry," he suddenly whipped out a gleaming gold credit card. "The money's coming from the winning bid on you and Kyoko's photos."

Haruhi and I both sagged. "Then wouldn't that make us the original payers anyway?" I sighed and patted her on the back for support. "Fine," she straightened. "I know a pretty good sushi restaurant in the neighbourhood, so I'll give them a call."

"Ooh, you mean _The Water Dragon_?" I clapped my hands together excitedly. "Screw calling them, why don't we just walk there? It's not like it's that far away." _The Water Dragon_ had become my favourite sushi place ever since Haruhi had ordered me some fish from there when I'd first arrived. It didn't look like much, granted, but the food was amazing and the people were super nice.

Haruhi sighed at my obvious excitement, but then she smiled. "Alright, I'll just get my bag and we can go."

"Yay!" I cheered. "I'll be waiting downstairs for you!" I unlocked the front door, and then knelt down to put on my shoes.

"We'll come with you," the twins said. I stiffened slightly at their voices. I could feel myself flushing, but luckily my back was to them. I nodded silently and quickly finished lacing up my sneakers. "We're going ahead!" The twins called back to the rest of the club, and then they followed me out the door.

We walked for a few seconds in silence. I didn't know what to say, and that was new to me. _Why do I feel so awkward around them… _"Hey, Kyoko?" Hikaru grabbed my arm. I turned to stare at him. He frowned. "Why are you ignoring us?"

I quickly looked away from them. "I-I'm not ignoring you," I lied. Huh, usually I was a better liar than that (even though it was not something I regularly did). How come I couldn't deny their claim as smoothly as I would have liked? "Really, I'm not," I stared at the ground.

"But you haven't spoken to us since we arrived," Kaoru pointed out. "And you keep avoiding our eyes. Like now, you won't even look at us," he paused for a second. "Hey, did we do something to upset you?"

My head came up immediately, and I shook my head vehemently. "No, you guys didn't do a single thing wrong!" I told them. "It's me, I'm just a bit nervous around the two of you now." I don't know why I admitted that, but the words had just flown out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Don't worry about it," I smiled at them. "But thanks for worrying about me anyway."

Hikaru slung an arm around my waist, while Kaoru draped one around my shoulder. "Of course we worry about you," Hikaru poked my cheek. "We care about you a lot, Kyoko." My eyes tingled. _Goddammit, do _not_ cry! This is no time to cry! Suck those wannabe tears back up into the dark abyss that is your heart!_

Someone brushed past us, but I barely noticed them as they did, what with the twins crowding me. they were both hugging me, cheeks resting on the top of my head. "Aw, is our little kitten tearing up?" Kaoru poked my other cheek. "How cute!"

"I am _not_ tearing up!" I yelled at them. They just grinned back at me and laughed. "Ugh," I rolled my eyes. "Geez, what's taking everyone else so long to meet us?" I frowned and looked back. "Come on," I dragged the twins back to the apartment door. "Oi, Haruhi!" I blinked at the scene before me.

It was of Haruhi lying prone on the ground, with Tamaki apparently pinning her down. To make it worse, standing in the doorway was none other than Ranka-san, my uncle and Haruhi's father, who was literally the worst person that could be here at that time.

_Well damn,_ I stared. _This is awkward._ The twins peered in. "Ah, tono," Hikaru called. "We were waiting with Kyoko…"

"Oh?" Kaoru blinked. "So the person who walked past us was Haruhi's father after all."

I waved at my uncle cheerfully. "Hi Uncle! I thought you said be back later?"

Tamaki reached for us like we were here to help him. "Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyoko, my saviours!" Instead, the twins used him as a carpet to walk all over, and I mean this in the most literal sense. Haruhi and I both sweatdropped as they both stepped on Tamaki on their way to greet Ranka-san.

"Ah, pleased to meet you!" They chorused with large smiles on their faces. "We're Haruhi and Kyoko's best friends, the Hitachiin brothers!"

"So, Haruhi's papa, you're an okama?" Hikaru asked.

"This is the first time I've seen a real one!" Kaoru said. They glanced down at Tamaki.

"Oh, tono, you finally laid your hands on Haruhi?" They asked. "We're sorry about him," they turned back to Ranka-san. "This guy is a total womanizer. He's a pheromone machine, and the number of women he's played is higher than the number of capillary vessels in his body…"

"Played, you say?" My uncle developed an angry tick mark on his forehead. I sweatdropped and dragged the twins off Tamaki. The poor guy was beginning to look a little flat.

Tamaki got up and spun around to face Ranka-san. "That's wrong!" He shouted. "I've never played anybody! I seriously, I seriously…!" The twins and I turned to stare at Tamaki in surprise. _Is finally he going to confess his undying love for my cousin?_ I crossed my fingers for good luck. "I seriously love Haruhi like my own daughter!"

For a second, we all just stared at Tamaki, and then I sagged and facepalmed. "This guy is an idiot," I muttered. Apparently, my uncle was thinking the same thing. "I suppose Haruhi and I should make more tea then?" I helped my cousin up from the ground and we made our way into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, we were all seated at the table with fresh cups of tea. Well, not all of us. Tamaki was in the corner emitting a depressed emo aura. I was sitting between the twins, since I was no longer nervous about being around them. My uncle was emitting a flowery aura while talking to the Hosts.

"I see, so you're the Host Club I've been hearing so much about?" He smiled round the table. "My, what a group of very handsome men! I don't know who to pick, right girls?" He turned to Haruhi and I. _Uncle, are you flirting?_ I took a long sip of my tea so I wouldn't have to answer him. "Ah, you can just call me Ranka-san! Ranka is my genji name at the bar I work at."

"Genji name?" Honey tilted his head to the side cutely. "Is that like an alias?"

"That's right, Mitsukuni-kun," Ranka nodded.

"Huh? How come you know my name?" Honey asked.

Ranka smiled. "I know all of you. The seniors, Haninozuka-kun and Morinozuka Takashi-kun," he pointed to them. "Then, the freshmen that are in the same class as Kyoko and Haruhi," he gestured to the twins. "Hitachiin Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun, right? I wonder which one is which," he beamed at them. "I've been hearing a lot about you guys!"

The twins looked surprised. "Hmm?" Hikaru glanced at me out of the corner of his eye with a small smirk. "Do Haruhi and Kyoko talk about us a lot at home?" I took a longer sip of my tea to avoid conversation.

Ranka shook his head. "No, I've been talking on the phone with Kyouya-kun a lot! Yay!" He and Kyouya suddenly turned to each other with happy smiles. I nearly choked on my tea.

"Ranka-san, you are such a beautiful person," Kyouya complimented my uncle.

"WHAT!?" We all yelled at them.

"_Kyouya_," Tamaki reached from his darkened corner and placed a hand on Kyouya's shoulder.

"What?" the brunette smirked. "We're taking care of his precious daughter and niece, it's only natural that we keep him well-informed about everything that goes on in the club," he took a sip of his tea. "Of course, that was originally supposed to be your job." Tamaki reeled back in stunned shock.

"My, what a fine president you are!" Ranka gushed. "No, I'm sorry, you're the vice president aren't you? The president must be someone very worthless…" With every word, a sharp arrow hit Tamaki. _Wow, uncle really doesn't like Tamaki,_ I glanced down at my empty cup.

"Just a minute dad!" Haruhi yelled. "I never knew you had connections with Kyouya-senpai!"

"Eh?" Uncle whined. "But you and Kyoko don't really talk to me about school! I want to know what's going on with you guys!"

"That doesn't mean you can secretly-!" She suddenly turned to Tamaki, who was poking at something in our storeroom. "SENPAI, STOP GROWING MUSHROOMS IN OTHER PEOPLE'S STOREROOMS!" I facepalmed, and then leaned my cheek against my hand. _My family is insane,_ I smiled to myself. _I suppose that's why Haruhi and I have rather nonchalant attitudes to many other insane things._

"Haruhi," my uncle stared at her. "Daughters like you…" he suddenly lunged for her and began to coddle her face. "Your angry face looks so cute too! Hahaha so cute, so cute!"

A sign appeared underneath him. **Ultra Stupid Parent. **

I sweatdropped at the sign. The twins glanced at each other. "Somehow, he terrifying resembles a certain person," Hikaru muttered.

Kaoru nodded. "I guess that's why Haruhi is so good with dealing with tono."

Haruhi managed to break out of her dad's grip on her. "Oh no," Ranka pouted as he stared at her. "Where are you going?"

"To the supermarket," Haruhi replied. "Since we didn't get any sushi, I'll just buy things to make lunch," she turned to me. "Kyoko, do you want to come with me?"

I was about to say yes, but then the twins clamped their hands over my mouth. "She wants to keep us company!" They replied for me. I made a dissenting sound. "And she says you should hurry up and go now, otherwise lunch will be late!" _What? I didn't mean that! _I glared up at the two of them. Haruhi arched an eyebrow, and then she shrugged and left.

The second the twins removed their hands, I reached up and pinched their ears hard enough to make them wince. "I wanted to go with her!" I folded my arms. "What if she needs held carrying all the stuff back home?"

My uncle waved a hand at me. "She'll be fine," he said. "She's strong, and pretty independent. She even did all the admission paperwork for Ouran by herself," he smiled softly. "I want to respect her independence, but I do want her to fawn on me from time to time…"

The way he described Haruhi being independent, reminded me a lot of myself. Because both my parents worked often, I was sometimes alone at home. Even though out house wasn't too big, it could seem large to a young child. I could be home alone for hours on end, so I had learned to cook meals and clean up after myself. My parents weren't out because they hated me, I always told myself, but because they wanted me to be able to live a comfortable life.

_Still_, I thought when I eventually crawled into bed and tucked myself in alone, _it still hurts a little inside_. Over the years, I got used to it. By the time I turned eleven, I had stopped caring so much. As long as they came back, then I was fine.

"I really want to say thank you," Ranka's voice jerked me out of my thoughts. "It seems like Haruhi is having a lot of fun at school. I'd hoped that Kyoko's presence would help her loosen up a bit, but it seems like you're all helping her have a good time. Right, Suou Tamaki-kun?"

Tamaki burst out of the storeroom with happy, teary eyes. "Dad!"

"I could tell immediately," my uncle continued. "You're the idiot president that came up a lot in Haruhi's talk. I heard you took Haruhi for a guy until the end," he took a sip of tea. "You really don't understand things, do you? Idiot." And thus, Tamaki was banished back into the storage room.

"Tamaki-senpai, I know you're upset," I glared at him. "But seriously, stop growing mushrooms in our storeroom. It's getting a bit much." His depressed aura grew even more, the point that it was like a sad cloud of gloom, kept only a way by my uncle's super-flowery attitude. _Well, I suppose uncle does have a reason to not like Tamaki,_ I thought. _I wouldn't like it if I got back home and found my daughter in a rape-like position._

"Alright everyone," my uncle suddenly smirked at us after finishing his tea. "Do you want to do something fun now?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chocolate Induced Affection**

My uncle has weird ideas of what _fun _is. In this case, he meant that we should pretty much stalk Haruhi all the way to the market. We were all currently hiding a few meters away from her behind one of the streetlight poles.

"In the end, we still followed her anyway," the twins said.

Kyouya glanced at my uncle. "Is this the _fun _thing you mentioned earlier?" He asked.

"This is the stalking game, Kyouya-kun," my uncle nodded from behind his scarf and black sunglasses. Yep, he had gone the whole hog, new clothes, a scarf and dark shades. Did he not understand that the best spies hid themselves in plain sight?

I facepalmed. I wondered how Haruhi hadn't seen us yet. I mean, half the street was gazing at us, and a few were pointing. It was kind of hard to miss the Host Club. They were all so handsome in their own way that they couldn't fail to attract attention wherever they went.

_I suppose that's the real reason uncle Ryouji wanted them to come_, I glared at my uncle's back when he straightened and removed his sunglasses. "Rather than go alone," he said. "I just wanted to drag around a bunch of handsome men with me!" He said. I sweatdropped. _I was right after all._ Well, I could certainly see the attraction.

We managed to sneak into the supermarket without being seen by Haruhi, which was a miracle in itself as no one in the Host Club really knew how to sneak. That, or they didn't care. I think it was a bit of both. Mori and Honey wandered off in the direction of the ice cream and candy aisle, Kyouya disappeared somewhere, and then the twins dragged me away towards the shelves of instant coffee.

"Whoa!" Hikaru was picking containers of coffee of the shelves and staring at them with surprise. "There are so many flavours here!"

"Here's one we haven't tried before!" Kaoru grabbed one, the dark chocolate flavoured one. "Hey, Kyoko," he showed it to me. "Is it any good?"

The cover of the coffee container was light brown, lighter than the chocolate-infused powder inside it. I shrugged and folded my arms over my chest. "I don't know," I told them. "I've never been much of a coffee person. It's too bitter for me. I like hot chocolate though."

"Hmm?" Hikaru cocked his head to the side. "You like sweet things, don't you?" He asked me. "Like sweets and chocolates?" I nodded. "What kind of chocolate do you like?"

"Either milk or white," I told them. "But white chocolate is expensive, and really hard to find around here." Whenever I went into sweet shops, they never had any. I suppose it's because it's more expensive than ordinary milk chocolate. "Anyway," I stared at the coffee in their hands. "Are you guys going to buy that?" They nodded. "Then do you want me to get a basket?"

"Wow, those guys over there are really cute!"

I blinked, and leaned a little to the side so I could see who was speaking. There were three girls hanging around a few feet away from us. Even though they looked to be about my age, they were dressed to look much older. They were staring at the twins, and they had their hands over their mouths, as though they were trying to disguise the fact that they were speaking.

"Are they twins?"

"They look so cool!" Then the one that spoke must have noticed me. "Ah, who's that? Do you think that's their sister?"

"No way, she doesn't look at all like them!"

"Then, do you think she might be dating one of them?" I flushed and looked away. The twins had to be hearing this, but neither of them was acting as though anything was amiss. _Dating one of them, huh? I wonder what that would be like…it would probably be the same as now, only with more kisses. _I went bright red at my line of thought.

"No way!" One of the girls snapped. "She isn't cute enough for any of them! I mean, look at her clothes!"

I stiffened slightly. Even though I would happily run into battle, or beat up several punks and some gangsters for another person, or even scream insults in the defence of another person, I was hopeless when it came to verbally defending myself. I was better at ignoring people, because I had relatively thick skin. Even when some insults managed to puncture my outer shield, I was good at pretending like it didn't hurt at all.

Two hands landed on my shoulders. I blinked up at the twins. "Do you want to look around some more, Kyoko?" Hikaru asked me.

Kaoru jerked a thumb down one of the aisles, in the direction of the girls. "I think I saw some chocolate over there." Their hands slid down from my shoulders to my hands and curled between my fingers. Their hands were much larger than mine were, and warmer. "Let's go buy some, okay?"

They pulled me forward, down the aisle. As we passed those girls, I glanced back at them with, and smiled at the annoyed, stunned looks on their faces. I couldn't help feeling a bit of happiness. Partially from proving them wrong, but mostly because it touched me that the twins actually cared enough to defend me in their own way.

_I really love these guys,_ I squeezed their hands to show my gratitude, and received a smile from both of them.

* * *

oOo

* * *

I don't know how we did it, but we managed to sneak home before Haruhi. Well, with the exception of Tamaki. Uncle had tossed him out while we were in the supermarket and Haruhi had seen him. _This girl really needs to learn to be more aware of her surroundings, _I thought as we prepared the _nabe_ for dinner.

"So, you're making this because Tamaki wanted it?" I nudged Haruhi while the meat was cooking. "Seems like you really want him to be happy." I giggled as she spluttered out something and blushed. "I'm sorry," I cooed. "I didn't quite catch that."

My cousin huffed and went back to stirring the vegetables. "Honestly, why do you keep teasing me about him?" She asked me. "What about you and the twins?" It was her turn to smirk at me while my face went red.

I narrowed my eyes. "I plead the fifth," I deadpanned, and then we both laughed. "But seriously," I smiled as we sobered up. "There's nothing going on with any of us. They're just close to me right now."

"Very close," Haruhi nodded, but it didn't seem like she was teasing me. I shrugged, because I didn't know what else I could say. She exhaled softly and stared at the roof. "I can tell that they both like you a lot," she finally said. I blushed and opened my mouth to retaliate, but she was already switching off the gas and dishing the meat.

When the meat and vegetables were ready, we arranged the _nabe_ in a dish and carried it out. I stacked some bowls and chopsticks on a tray and carried it after her. "Dinner is ready!" Haruhi announced.

"Wow, it smells good!" Honey cheered. Mori made a sound that I assumed was an agreement.

"Everyone, help yourselves," I grabbed a bowl for myself, and some chopsticks. I noticed, with some worry and amusement, that when Tamaki went to serve himself, uncle piled his plate high with the _shungiku_ (chrysanthemum leaves) and practically no meat. _Uncle, that's kind of mean…_

I nudged Haruhi in the side and she glanced at me. I jerked my head at Tamaki. The poor guy looked like he wanted to cry. It was evening, and he hadn't eaten anything since the cake we'd had earlier. The look in my eyes, when I glared at Haruhi, clearly read, _feed this poor idiot or something rather terrible will happen to you._

She sweatdropped, and then she sighed. "Hey, Tamaki-senpai?"

"Hmm?" He turned to her, and then blinked as she dropped some meat on his plate. The way his eyes sparkled was enough to blind a person. "Haruhi!" He would have glomped her, I knew, had uncle Ryouji not been sitting right next to him.

Finally, the time came for the Host Club to leave. Uncle more or less kicked Tamaki out of the house, and then smiled prettily at the other Hosts. "Make sure you come back soon, okay?" He batted his lashes. "It's so nice to have my girls' friends over! Right Haruhi, Kyoko?"

I had no tea, so I couldn't avoid conversation. Haruhi and I folded our arms across our chests and glared at the rest of the Host Club. "The next time you visit," Haruhi stared at them. "Please give us some warning, okay?"

Kyouya nodded. "We're sorry for dropping by so suddenly," he smiled charmingly at uncle, which made me want to throw up. Uncle was beginning to emit flowers again. "Thank you for having us, Ranka-san. Everyone, we should be going now," Kyouya grabbed Tamaki by the back of his collar and dragged his unconscious body into the limo that had been sitting there since afternoon.

"Bye Haru-chan, Kyo-chan!" Honey waved at us cheerfully. Mori waved as well, a tiny smile on his face.

I waved back, just as cheerfully. "Bye you guys!" I called.

"Bye Kyoko!" The twins waved at us. "Bye Haruhi! Oh, Kyoko, we left something for you." Hikaru winked at me. "Hope you like it!" I tilted my head to the side and watched as the black limo pulled away into the evening sunset and disappeared around a corner.

"Huh," I turned and walked back into the apartment, closely followed by Haruhi and my uncle. "I wonder what they left for me…" I suddenly noticed something on the table: a small, rectangular box.

"Ooh, what is it?" I yelped when my uncle suddenly appeared over my shoulder."Oh, those twins gave you a present! What is it, what is it?" He was acting like an overexcited teenage girl. I sweatdropped, and then I turned the box over.

"OH MY GOD THEY BOUGHT ME WHITE CHOCOLATE!" I screamed. Haruhi and my uncle stared at me blankly. I was still staring at the squares of pure white chocolate. "I don't think I have ever been more in love with two people before," I mused. My cousin sweatdropped, but I knew she wanted some as well.

_But, this looks expensive, _I frowned at the box. _The last present they gave me, it was an apology. What excuse do they have for this one?_ _I should make plans to pay them back._ I flipped the box over again, searching for a price tag. _They must have scratched it off,_ I sighed. _Oh well,_ I broke off a square and took a bite of it. _I'll just ask them about it at school._

**This was rather short, wasn't it? There was supposed to be more, but I didn't like how it turned out. Please read and review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**I'm sorry this took so long! I kept trying to write it, but then I got caught up with my other stories, and then I started watching more anime than I probably should. I'll try to never leave you guys like that again. As an apology, here's a super long chapter for you guys!**

**In order to appease the twins, I let them have Kyoko for the time it takes me to finish this chapter.**

**Kyoko: *In the distance* PUT ME DOWN YOU PERVERTS!**

**Me: *nervous laughter* I don't own OHSHC**

**Kyoko: YOU CAN'T FOLLOW ME INTO THE CHANGING ROOM!**

**Of Cats and Princes**

It had been a bad idea to gorge myself on an entire box of white chocolate in the space of two hours, but it had been worth it. At least, to me. I'd shared some with Haruhi, but her appetite wasn't up to par with mine. She didn't feel the same way about sweet things as I did.

The long weekend ended, and I spent a lot of it trying to think of ways to repay the twins for the gift. I could bake them a cake, but I wasn't sure what kind of cake they would like. I wasn't rich enough to buy them presents. In the end, I decided to wait until I saw them and ask what they wanted. However, I had forgotten how affectionate chocolate made me act.

"Hikaru, Kaoru!" I ran at them and hugged them tightly around their waists with all the love and affection in my heart.

"Huh? – _gack!_" The twins staggered backwards and stared down at me in shock. "Uh…Kyoko?"

"Not that we aren't happy to see you…" Hikaru started.

"…but you usually aren't this affectionate," Kaoru finished.

That was true. But I was really happy right now. Chocolate did that to me. I pulled away, and ran a hand through my hair sheepishly. "I know…but I wanted to say thank you for the chocolates," I lowered my hand and twisted my fingers together. "It was really sweet of you and…I wanted you to know that I'll find some way to pay you guys back."

They both frowned down at me as though they weren't pleased with my words. "We don't need you to do that," Hikaru folded his arms across his chest. "We bought it for you because we like you."

"You're our friend," Kaoru told me sternly. "You don't need to pay us for gifts. We want to make you happy."

They were upset. I hadn't meant to upset them. "I didn't mean it like that," I waved my hands quickly. "It's just…you guys made me happy, so I want to make you happy. I'm just really grateful! didn't mean to upset you."

Their faces softened, and then Hikaru smirked. "Well…" Hikaru began. "If you want to repay us, you could do it with a ki-!"

Kaoru suddenly leaned over and began whispering in his ear. I watched Hikaru's facial expression for a hint of what was being said. First he looked annoyed, then mildly surprised, and then finally he grinned widely. That grin made me very suspicious of what had just been discussed.

They both turned to me with matching smiles. "Change of plan," Kaoru said. "If you want to repay us, then we want you to spend the whole of next Saturday with us."

_The whole day?_ I stared up at them with wide, slightly surprised, mostly curious eyes. "Why the whole day?" I asked. "Don't we see each other enough?"

Hikaru leaned closer to me, and brushed a finger over my cheek. "Don't you remember what I told you when you came to our house?" He reminded me. "We're selfish creatures. Sometimes, we don't want to have to share you with anyone else."

I blushed at the way he said it, and the way they both stared down at me. I did remember him saying that, didn't I? I thought about the prospect for a second. It wasn't like I didn't like the twins, and I was relatively sure that I had nothing to do next Saturday other than laze around at home, study and watch some long-winded soap with uncle Ryouji.

After considering it, I decided to agree. "Okay," I smiled up at them. "Next Saturday, I'm all yours!"

Their eyes lit up, and they both leaned closer to me. "Really, Kyoko?"

I sweatdropped and shoved their faces away. "Not in _that_ way, you perverts! Now, shouldn't we be heading to class? You guys are going to make us late!"

**Unknown POV**

"Did you guys hear that?" Three pairs of eyes watched the trio disappear down the halls. "They're going on a date next Saturday!" The girl let loose a very fangirl-ish scream. "My OTP may finally be coming true!"

"Pipe down!" Another girl hissed. "And technically, it's not an OTP since it isn't a pairing. There are three of them!"

The former girl waved her hand dismissively. "Semantics, my dear! Love comes in all shapes and sizes!"

"I still bet that she ends up with Kaoru!"

"No, she'll be with Hikaru!"

"You don't even know which one is which!"

"Well neither do you!" The two girls glared at each other viciously while the other just smiled cheerfully as she did not care either way. None of them noticed the girl standing a few yards away watching them with hooded eyes.

oOo

School passed by relatively quickly. I told Haruhi about my promise to the twins, which she took with her usual _well-okay-so-long-as-nothing-too-strange-happens_ sort of way. I love my cousin.

Anyway, school ended and the two of us headed to the Host Club. We were having another one of our theme days, which meant that I would have to don a costume. I wondered what it was going to be this time. Maybe a café, so the twins could force me into a French maid costume. Or maybe they'd just jam a pair of cat ears over my head and loop a collar around my neck.

I shuddered at both of those prospects.

Luckily for me, the theme was neither. Instead, Tamaki (or Kyouya, as he was the notorious Shadow King of the Host Club) had chosen a police theme, and so everyone was dressed in the uniform of a police officer. Well, except me. I was dressed like a convict. You know, orange jumpsuit, prison tag, handcuff on one wrist etc. Although I'm sure not a lot of prisoners get their jumpsuits made from really fancy fabrics.

"Why is the handcuff only on one wrist anyway?" I wondered, jangling it curiously. It looked sufficiently realistic, but I didn't think the Host Club would actually buy real, police-issued handcuffs. Right?

Hikaru tipped my chin up with a finger. "Because you tried to escape from us," he told me with a seductive seme-like smile. "And now we have to punish you. That's what happens to naughty little prisoners like you."

I flushed, and immediately dived behind Haruhi for protection. Kyouya cleared his throat, which meant that it was nearly time for the club to begin. We took our places, and I made sure to stick close to Haruhi and stay on the other side of the twins. Right on cue, the door of the room began to open.

Instead of the hoard of squealing fangirls we expected, we instead found one tiny little girl. It was kind of like that episode with Shirou, only this little one was a hundred times cuter, blonde and, well, female.

"What a special guest we have," Tamaki, never one to become bogged down by minor surprises such as this one, smiled at the little girl charmingly. "Welcome, little lost kitty."

"I wonder how she got here," I folded my arms across my chest and stared at her curiously. She was staring up at us, mostly at Tamaki, with wide eyes, as though all her childish dreams had come true. _I wonder if this is how fangirls are born._

Tamaki leaned down to be closer to her height. "Little kitty, where did you come from?" He asked her. She stared at him some more, and then silently raised a pudgy hand to point at us.

"Reverse harem! There's a reverse harem here!"

You could have heard a metaphorical pin drop. We were that shocked. This little girl couldn't have been above nine! Where the hell had she heard such a word as _reverse harem_? I didn't even know about that until I turned thirteen!

"Oh this is bad," Tamaki slapped at his head. "It seems there's still some water in my ears from swimming!"

The twins began to laugh nervously. "You're right chief inspector," Hikaru said.

Kaoru nodded, still chuckling apprehensively. "There must be something wrong with our ears if we're hearing such a little girl say something like '_reverse harem_'."

"I really hope we just misheard that," I murmured, not taking my eyes of the tiny blonde girl.

However, life has ways of screwing with people, which was why the next thing she said was: "_Shuchi nikurin_!"

_Boom!_ Yet another round of shocked silence greeted her observation. The twins and I stared at the girl with stunned, freaked out eyes. _SHE'S NOT INNOCENT! SHE KNOWS TOO MUCH!_

"Yay, there's a _shuchi nikurin_ here!" She cheered happily. She pointed at Kyouya. "A glasses character!" Then at Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. "A loli-shota, a stoic type," then at the twins and I. I don't mind telling you that I flinched when she turned to us. "A threesome!" I felt my soul leave my body at that. "A bookworm!" That was Haruhi.

Finally, she turned to Tamaki, who flinched backwards nervously as he awaited her verdict. Instead of saying something potentially shocking and/or insulting, her eyes widened as though she had just seen a beautiful vision.

"Oniichama…" she suddenly jumped into Tamaki's arms. "You're blonde so you must be my oniichama!"

Haruhi patted me on the shoulder while the twins went to interrogate Tamaki about his possible little sister. "There, there Kyoko," she soothed as she tried to get my soul back into my body. "Hang in there cousin."

_I didn't know this was going to happen. No Haruhi, leave me here to wallow in my shock. _At any rate, I came out of my stupor just as Honey-senpai spoke. "You both do look alike now that you mention it," he pointed out. "You're both blonde." _That isn't a concrete base for anything._

"Is a 'glasses character' better than 'oniichama'?" Kyouya wondered.

"Hey, at least you're not a bookworm like me," Haruhi scowled.

"And at least you're not involved in a threesome," I pointed out with my own scowl. "Why does she know all these words anyway? She's, what, nine? Where did she even learn all of those?" My own vocabulary didn't expand to include such words until I was well into my teenage years!

Tamaki smiled nervously while he held the beaming girl, who did not seem likely to let go of him any time soon. At least, not of her own free will. "Uh, what's your name little girl?"

"Kirimi!"

"Not the fish," I muttered to Haruhi, although even I could hear the similarity in the two words myself.

Tamaki put her down, with great difficulty, and knelt down so he was almost at eye level with her. "Um, Kirimi-chan, are you sure you aren't mistaking me for someone else?" He asked her. "I'm very sure I don't have any siblings at all."

Her eyes changed. They grew bigger, bluer, and began to water. "What?" Her voice shook tremulously. "You're not my oniichama, even though you're blonde?" A sign appeared under her. **About to Cry.**

_Oh she's good,_ I thought. It would be difficult for anyone to say no to that face.

Especially when the person is Tamaki, who has a heart made of jelly. The signs: **About to Cry **and **Easily Moved **appeared in front of him. His eyes began to water. He cracked and began twirling her around into the pink, flower-painted background. "Okay, I'm your oniichama starting today! Your oniichama!" He cheered. "How cute, how cute!"

Haruhi sweatdropped. "Even if you are easily moved," she pointed out. "Do you think you should say something so irresponsible to a child?"

"I'm not being irresponsible!" He shouted, twirling and spinning around in a haze of blind, happy optimism. "I'll take good care of her, so I'm going to bring her back home with me!"

I sweatdropped as well. "She isn't a stray cat, Tamaki-senpai," I pointed out. "She probably has a real big brother in the high school and she came here to look for him."

At that moment, a hollow voice began to echo through the room. "Kirimi, Kirimi~!" And then a door that I wasn't sure had been there before suddenly opened and a cute, blonde haired guy that I had never seen before stuck his head into the room.

The twins blinked. "Uh…who are you?" They asked.

"It's a foreigner!" Honey cheered. The light coloured hair meant that the student definitely wasn't fully Japanese. Maybe he was part French, like Tamaki, or British. Either way, was this the older brother that Kirimi had come searching for?

The guy leaned in further. "Kirimi…" Then why did the girl seem so disturbed?

"Obocchama…"

"…you forgot your robe." A man and woman stepped into the room and tossed a dark cloak over the blonde. When the stepped back, the student no longer resembled the person I had seen before. His face was hidden, and the blackness of the cloak threw the paleness of his hair into shadow. He was also now holding a glove puppet of a cat, which looked vaguely familiar.

"Nekozawa-senpai!?" Haruhi, Tamaki and the twins screamed. _Oh, yep, there we go. That's the name I was looking for. _

"Wow," I noted, staring at the shrouded figure of the guy. "That was quite the transformation."

"Umehito-bocchama really despises bright light," the female dressed in a black maid uniform explained to us. "Therefore, if he doesn't wear his robe he won't be able to withstand the light and he'll collapse!" She said all of this a tad more dramatically than the situation merited. "He even has to wear a wig to cover his fair hair!"

"On the other hand," the male servant said. "His sister, Kirimi-ojousama, really despises dark places."

"So…" Haruhi pointed to the girl in Tamaki's arms. "This little girl is Nekozawa-senpai's sister?"

"Oh what's the use?" The man suddenly turned away with handkerchief to his eyes. "What's the point of hiding it? Indeed, you are right!" _Whoa, dude, calm down. You don't need to cry._ Tamaki put down Kirimi. The sheer difference between her cuteness and Nekozawa-senpai's um…creepiness was pretty clear.

"Ki-Ki-Ki-Kirimi…" Nekozawa-senpai began to advance on her with that weird cat puppet he wore. "So there you are…"

She freaked out, as well she should. Who wouldn't? He looked really terrifying to _me_, and at least I'm his height. "Wah!" She cried and jumped into Tamaki's arms. "A monster!"

"Don't worry," Nekozawa-senpai continued coming closer. "This cursed doll, Beelzenef, isn't scary at all."

"No fooling?" I muttered sarcastically. I felt two arms drape around my shoulders as the twins and I watched the proceedings with rapt curiousity. "Actually," I spoke louder. "I think she's more terrified of you than the puppet. You look really creepy." Kyouya and Haruhi nodded accordingly.

"It's probably because of what you're wearing," the twins left my side and began yanking at Nekozawa-senpai's cloak, which caused him to freak out and scream stuff about the twins being monsters and murderers.

I sweatdropped. "Um, you guys, I don't think he likes that…"

"Then let's try darkening the room!" Honey suggested, and then he began pulling the curtains of the room shut, but that just caused Kirimi to freak out and start crying.

"Now this one's complaining," Kyouya noted. I sighed and folded my arms across my chest._ This isn't working at all, is it?_

"This tragedy born from the opposing physical natures of the two," Nekozawa's maid said. "Is why they are called the _Romeo and Juliet _of the Nekozawa family."

Haruhi and I stared at her blankly. "Romeo and Juliet were not siblings," my cousin pointed out. "And the situation was completely different…"

"I know," she chirped. "It's a catch phrase I just came up with," she showed us a small banner with the words. "I just thought it sounded more poetic and dramatic."

I arched an eyebrow. "Of course," I murmured.

"By the way," the male servant, with is incredibly shiny head and overall shady appearance, bowed at the waist. "We are responsible for picking Kirimi-sama up from school."

The twins latched onto my arms. "Is everyone working at Nekozawa-senapi's house this suspicious looking?" They asked simultaneously.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" The female servant yelled at us. "The Nekozawa family is a noble family that is part of the Tokarev dynasty of Russia!" She screamed all of this while shaking Nekozawa-senpai around in order to get her point properly across.

"Tokarev?" Kyouya repeated.

"Don't you mean the Romanov dynasty?" Tamaki suggested.

She pointedly ignored him. "There is a legend in the Nekozawa family," she said. "That for some reason, ever once in a few hundred years, someone like Umehito-sama will be born, who will fall in love with the darkness…may or may not exist."

I cocked my head to the side. "'_May or may not_'?" I repeated.

"Which is it?" The twins asked.

The servants explained to us that, because of his appearance and inability to go into bright places, Nekozawa-senpai had never been able to get close to his little sister without her bursting into terrified tears and running away. Therefore, Kirimi was actually completely unaware that the thing she calls a monster is actually her older brother, or oniichama.

"We've been comforting her all this time with prince-themes storybooks," she explained. "But, alas, we ran out of material for her and so expanded the library to include shoujo mangas where prince-like characters appear and she has fallen in love with them."

"Shoujo manga?" Haruhi echoed.

I stared at the woman with a deadpan expression. "Are you telling me she learned all those terms from shoujo mangas?" _Why the frick-frack are you reading that stuff to a child!? SHE FREAKING KNOWS WHAT THREESOMES ARE! WHAT ROBBERY OF INNOCENCE IS THIS!?_

"So this maid was the cause?" The twins and I glared at the back of her head.

"We've tried telling Kirimi-sama many times that Umehito-sama is her brother, but she doesn't believe it," the maid said. "With his cloak and wig, he looks nothing like the painting of him that she saw."

Honey started crying. "Wah, but that's so sad for Neko-chan!" _No, my baby, don't cry! _I left my place between the twins and hugged Honey-senpai tightly. _Wait, _I blinked. _He's two years older than me. How do I keep forgetting this?_

Nekozawa suddenly pulled out several candles from…I don't know…and then he lit them. "Yes," he said, placing the candles on a table filled with other occult-like stuff. "That is why I have prayed every night for Kirimi to like the darkness." _Whoa, don't do that,_ I stared at him with wide, freaked out eyes._ That shit is creepy._

"No, it should be the other way around," the twins snapped. "You should learn to get used to bright places. What the hell did you plan on doing to your sister?"

The twins continued to berate Nekozawa, while the servants assigned to pick Kirimi from school tried to do that. Unfortunately, she believed she had found her oniichama, and was unwilling to leave him. She threw a queen-sized tantrum and clung to Tamaki like a limpet to rocks. Nekozawa, hurt by his sister's (inadvertent and accidental) rejection, ran from the room while yelling for Tamaki to take care of Kirimi.

I stared after him blankly. "What the hell?" I muttered. "You can't just pass your family members onto other people!"

Kyouya pushed up his glasses. "Siblings are always the cause of problems in any family," he said quietly. I stared at him curiously. Did he have sibling troubles?

"I envy them, you know," Haruhi commented. "Even though I have Kyoko with me now, I've always been a single child." I threw my arms around her shoulders. "It's sad that, even though their siblings, they can't be close to each other the way they both want."

I don't know if it was because of what Haruhi said, or if it was Tamaki's own thoughts that prompted his actions, but he put Kirimi down. "I'm sorry Kirimi-chan," he smiled down at her. "I'm not your oniichama after all. But, don't you worry. Your real oniichama is someone much better than I am!"

"What is he planning?" I muttered, still hanging on to my cousin.

Tamaki adopted one of his many Host poses. "Since you came down here," he said. "That makes you our guest! And we, the Ouran Host Club, exist to bring fortune to girls!"

"We are going to get swept up into another one of his ideas aren't we?" I said blankly. Haruhi nodded silently.

oOo

Tamaki's great plan, put into motion the following day, was to completely alter Nekozawa's darkness-and-occult-loving personality into a bright, prince-like character that his baby sister wouldn't run screaming from. That was actually easier said than done, as most things in life tend to be.

Of course, Tamaki knew that this would be a tricky task, and s he had called in the best person for the job.

"NO!" I sweatdropped as Renge smacked Nekozawa over the head with a rolled up script. "You idiot! Stick to the script already!" Her hair had metamorphosed into snakes and her eyes were aflame. "Who taught you to say that? I told you that occult words and terminology were out of the question!"

Yes, we had called in Renge. She seemed to pop up at the oddest intervals really. it had been three days since Tamaki's plan. The entire Host Club, with the exception of Haruhi, had gathered in the Physics lab, which had a dark room setting. We had left Haruhi in the Third Music Room to keep Kirimi occupied with a stack of shoujo mangas from the library and nearby bookshop.

"Why didn't you stay with Haruhi, Kyoko?" Hikaru asked me curiously. I was sitting between the twins on one of the lab tables.

My eyes narrowed and I glared at nothing. "I wanted to, but the amount of romance in all those mangas got too much, and then almost all of them had reverse harems and…stuff. And then she started asking me what it was like to be in love with two people, and whether you loved me, and whether mangas were right about it all…" I shuddered.

I'd had to abandon Haruhi at the last question. I'm sure she understood. She was the _gariben_ anyway, she was supposed to enjoy reading!

Kaoru poked the cheek on his side. "Aw, but Kyoko, you should know the answer to almost all those questions."

I glared at the two of them. "We are not doing this now," I deadpanned. They both pouted, and then turned back to watch Renge thwack Nekozawa upside the head. "Wow, she is brutal isn't she?"

"She's on a rampage," Kyouya commented.

"She's really into it," Honey nodded.

"I'm not sure those words would work on his sister though," Hikaru said.

Kaoru turned slightly and stared at Tamaki. "My lord, are you just going to watch?" _Yeah, I mean, it was your plan after all._

"Well," he said. "I don't want to get cursed afterwards, so I think I'm just going to watch."

"EVIL BEAM!"

The twins and I blinked as Renge suddenly whipped out an ordinary torchlight and shone it on Nekozawa. To us it looked like a perfectly ordinary beam of ordinary light shining on a (not-so) ordinary person. However, from the way Nekozawa was screeching and flinching, you would think that the light from the torch was some sort of apocalyptic nightmare.

"DON'T'T LOSE YOUR HEAD TO A MERE FLASHLIGHT!" Renge yelled at him in her own encouraging way. "SHOW SOME GUTS! THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH YOUR QUALITIES, SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF YOUR OWN WILLPOWER!" She huffed and switched off the torch. "Even Edward dealt with the cross with willpower and guts!"

Nekozawa sweatdropped. "Weren't you denying anything occult?" He asked.

"It's okay for fiction," she snapped back. "It's not okay for fashion."

"I don't know," I leaned back on my arms. "I think it'd be cool, if you could carry it well." Black thigh-highs, net gloves, black heels and a short black dress with a splash of blood red…that sounded pretty cool.

The twins seemed to be following my train of thought. "Yeah," Hikaru agreed. "I bet our kitten would look pretty sexy in something like that!"

"Maybe we should dress her up for our next cosplay event!"

"_Can we not?!_"

Renge stared at us for a second, and then turned back to her victim – I mean, her student. "More importantly," he poked his chest hard. "Your lines don't have any heart! You must see your practice partner more as Kirimi-chan!"

Of course, his lack of proper enthusiasm may be because his so-called 'practice partner' was Tamaki's teddy bear with a blonde wig on. "Kirimi's face isn't such an ashen colour…"

"NO QUESTIONS!" Renge whacked him again with the script. "You must see her through the eyes of your heart! WITH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART!" She shoved the teddy bear in his face.

"Do your best, Nekozawa-senpai!" Tamaki said. "This is all for Kirimi-chan's sake! If you can activate the eyes of your heart, then you'll be able to see that doll as the real Kirimi-chan!"

I suddenly felt the mischievous auras the twins naturally projected spike at that statement, and I looked up at the two of them. "Uh, what's with those expressions?"

"Nothing, Kyoko," they sounded just a bit too innocent, and then they suddenly disappeared, only to return with a mannequin wearing a swimsuit. I remembered it as the suit they had wanted Haruhi to wear when we'd gone to the beach. The mannequin was now wearing a short brown wig that looked like Haruhi's hair. _What are they planning to do with that?_ "Hey, my lord!" Tamaki looked over.

"We prepared this for you!" Hikaru grinned.

"Well, make love to this Haruhi doll!" Kaoru said. _WHAT!?_

"That doesn't look like Haruhi…" Tamaki mumbled.

"It's important to set an example," the twins told him. "See it through the eyes of your heart!" _Don't, seriously. It's weird how you keep referring to Haruhi as your daughter yet you keep trying to – HOLY FRICK ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DOING THIS!?_ He had started embracing the Haruhi-mannequin. _My respect for you just diminished a lot._

"Uh…excuse me?" I looked over. Haruhi was standing in the doorway and staring at the scene with a blank expression. Tamaki panicked and shoved the mannequin away hurriedly. "Kirimi-chan came over to the club room again today. So if you've got time to be doing disgusting things like that, then could you go spend some time with Kirimi-chan instead?"

Tamaki looked like he had been shot. "Di-disgusting?" _Looks like her respect for you has also gone down quite a lot…_

I walked over to the laughing twins and placed my hands on my hips. "That was pretty mean, you guys," but I couldn't help smiling just a bit. It was always fun to tease Tamaki, after all. He did the funniest things, and had the most melodramatic aftermaths. Besides, it was all in good fun.

Kyouya was talking to my cousin. "What, Haruhi, you're not good with children?"

"No," she said. "It's not that I don't like children, it's just that I've been reading about fifty shojo mangas to her over the last couple days. Of course, this would be better if _Kyoko_ would help me…"

"YOU KNOW WHY I QUIT!" I glomped her tightly. "I'm sorry I've left you to her mercy, but you know I still love you!"

She patted me on the back, and then sighed. "Man, a lot of those really did have reverse harems and _shuchi nikurin_," she sighed. I patted her on the head, and then blinked when I spotted Kirimi peering into the room.

She blinked, looking for Tamaki. "Oniichama?" And then she suddenly seemed to realise how dark the room was and tears came to her eyes. "This room is so dark!"

_Aw, poor baby. _"Ah, Kirimi-chan!" Haruhi ran over to her. "I thought I told you to wait in the music room!" As the little girl continued to cry, Tamaki suddenly ran up to her and picked her up. He carried her outside the room, into the sunlit corridor, and began to coo at her. She cheered up almost immediately and started giggling.

_Okay, I think my opinion of him has risen a bit now._ Tamaki seemed like he would be a really good father to his _own_ kids. "Senpai?" I blinked and turned around. Nekozawa was holding the flashlight and shaking, like he was bracing himself.

"I am a wonderful, prince-like oniichama…" He was chanting. "I am a wonderful, prince-like oniichama…I am a wonderful, prince-like oniichama…_I am not scared of the light!_" He yelled. "EVIL BEAM ON ME!" He suddenly turned the torch on and stood in the light.

"Alright!" Honey cheered. Mori clapped behind him, his face as blank and impassive as ever.

"Nekozawa-senpai was able to point the flashlight at himself!" Renge beamed.

"Yay!" I cheered and clapped along with my cousin.

"Bravo! Bravo!" The twins popped party poppers with faces that didn't show any excitement whatsoever.

"He did it!" Tamaki looked happiest. "Look, Kirimi-chan," he directed the little girl towards Nekozawa. "This is your true oniichama!"

Okay, you know, from the back Nekozawa did seem really prince-like and mysterious with his blonde hair bathed in the light from the torch and all. However, it was a completely different story when he turned around. The light from under his chin cast shadows all over his face that would give anyone nightmares.

To put it short: Kirimi_ freaked_. **A Fear That Cannot Be Expressed in Words. **She dropped the torch and ran, screaming and crying, from the room. _Wow…that went pretty badly._ I felt so sorry for Nekozawa. He had tried so hard to win the affection of his baby sister, but her fear of him was too great.

"Kirimi…" he looked ready to cry, or give up, or both. "I give up."


	23. Chapter 23

**How long has it been? Has it been up to a week? *checks calendar* Just about, huh? Well I got a bit busy, but I'm ba-ack! And with another chapter!**

**I own nothing except a few chapters that are a product of my own imagination, and Kyoko. **

**Cream Cakes and Bunnies**

I stared at Nekozawa silently. He looked so sad and resigned. He had tried so hard, and had only managed to terrify his baby sister all the more.

A bit of light came into the room, and I looked up. The twins were standing by the window and had opened the dark-room curtains a bit apart to see what was going on outside. That they didn't seem all too bothered with what Nekozawa was going through seemed wrong, but also very much like them. "What are you guys doing?" I walked over to them.

"We just wanted to let a little light in," Hikaru told me. I shifted closer to the window and caught a flash of blonde hair down below. "Oh, Nekozawa-senpai, your sister is still in the courtyard," Hikaru noted.

"And there's something with her," Kaoru said. I peered through the window curiously. Kirimi was standing in the courtyard, and there was something standing a few feet away from her. It was a black and white cat that seemed almost as big as the little girl. "To be expected from a cat-loving family. Even stray cats fawn on you."

_That things looks as big as a dog compared to her._ "No!" Nekozawa-senpai suddenly pushed me aside and stared out the window with terrified eyes. "Even if my family worships cats, there's no chance that an occult happening like a stray cat approaching you could happen!"

"Nekozawa-senpai?" I stared at him. "What do you mean? It's just a cat anyway."

He shook his head firmly. "Even so, Kirimi does not like animals, and she fears living cats the most!" He took a few steps backwards away from the window, and then jumped through it, shattering the glass on his way out. _WHAT THE HECK?!_ "_Kirimi!_"

"Nekozawa-senpai!" Tamaki yelled. _We're on the freaking second floor!_ Unless his family had been blessed with some cat-like abilities, he was going to die. Or, at least, suffer some broken bones.

"He can't go outside without his hood!" Haruhi yelled. _Well there's that problem too._

It all turned out alright though. Nekozawa-senpai _did_ manage to land on his feet, and he wasted no time sprinting towards his baby sister. I guess his love for her overpowered his hatred of sunlight and brightness. As we watched, the little girl leaped into his arms, finally realising that this was her _oniichama_ that she had been searching for_._

I smiled at the scene below. "I'm so glad," I said.

"This is the result of my training!" Renge beamed happily. All in all, it was a very pleased Host Club that watched the blonde siblings have their moment, until Nekozawa-senpai collapsed on the grass.

"Oh dear," I murmured. "Man down." I watched the cat stare at the two for a while, and then yawn and walk away, it's tail swishing behind it. I wondered if Nekozawa-senpai was wrong, and the cat was actually a good thing. I mean, because of its appearance, he'd made proper contact with his sister.

_Maybe it deliberately walked over to Kirmi-chan, knowing she was scared of it. _I rolled my eyes internally at my thoughts. _Stop being so childish. _"I suppose he absorbed enough light to last a lifetime," Kaoru pointed out. Hikaru and I nodded in agreement, and then I looked up.

"One more thing," I started. "What are we going to do about the window?"

oOo

Nekozawa-senpai's family had to pay for the window, which I don't think was any skin off their noses. He and his sister had begun to bond after that day. She was no longer afraid of him when he wore his dark clothes and wig, and I was really happy for him. It's important for families to be happy together.

_Now I suppose I should be looking forward to Saturday._ I stared at the book in my hand without really seeing the words. _I have basically just leased out my soul to those two for a whole day because of white chocolate. Was that wise?_

Well, it's not like I didn't like the twins. They made me laugh, and they were really nice people underneath all the possessiveness. I guess the day could actually end up being a lot of fun. I smiled and resumed my reading, but then…

"KYOKO, RUN!" I looked up. Haruhi was sprinting my way with a terrified look on her face. "NO TIME FOR QUESTIONS!" She grabbed my hand and yanked me out of my seat by the corridor window.

"Haruhi?" I stumbled after her. "What's going on? Why are we running?" I glanced behind us and spotted the twins gaining on us and…what were they carrying? It looked like fabric and was that _lace_. My eyes widened in realisation because fabric = clothes = cosplay = perverted twin time where the two of them slowly erode away my innocence. "Never mind, RUN!"

I had to give it to them, they were both really persistent. Haruhi was already a few yards ahead of me, which is probably why they caught me first. "Gotcha!" Hikaru cackled excitedly as we burst into the Host Club room and fell to the ground in a writhing heap. "Kitten, you should know better than to run from us."

"Haruhi, help me!" I wriggled around like an eel trying to escape their grip. "Where the heck do you guys think you're grabbing!?"

"Your waist," Hikaru grabbed something that definitely wasn't my waist. "Isn't that what this is?"

"LET GO OF ME YOU MATCHING PERVERTS!" In the scuffle, Kaoru's arm knocked against Tamaki, who knocked against one of the tables. I heard something fall over and the sound of liquid splashing. "What was that? What did you break?"

"Oh shit…" Tamaki said. The twins stood up with me in their grip. Tamaki's teacup had fallen over and poured tea all over the table and Honey-senpai's bunny toy. _Oh shit indeed._

"You've done it alright," Hikaru commented nonchalantly.

"We're not involved in this," Kaoru added. I glared at both of them. _Yeah, you kind of were._

Tamaki, for some reason, was panicking. "F-fools!" He moaned. "You guys bumped into me!"

"Well, Kyoko and Haruhi were running away," the twins pointed out, although they were holding me prisoner and not my cousin. Haruhi was way on the other side of the room and avoiding the glares I was sending her way. "We finally got the chance to get them to cosplay and have some fun!"

"We're always doing cosplays!" Tamaki yelled at them.

"Not our usual type of cosplays," Hikaru corrected.

"We got a bunny girl outfit!" Kaoru revealed. My eyes flew open. _A whatnow? Oh god, SOMEONE HELP ME!_ "We brought for Kyoko, and now we can get Haruhi in female attire!"

I sweatdropped. "You do realise she's already a girl? Everything she wears is pretty much female attire now."

They ignored me. They did that a lot. "You want to see it too, don't you my lord?" I could almost _see_ inside Tamaki's mind. He was such a pervert, but not as bad as the ones holding me. The twins pulled out the dresses. They looked identical, but Haruhi's was pink while mine was blue. They even came with bunny ears and a tail. "What do you think, Kyoko?"

I stared at the dresses like they were the plague. "I'm wondering why you guys want to dress me up like a Playboy bunny," I deadpanned.

Tamaki was still imagining. "Oh yeah, I do…" And then he snapped out of it. "No, but now's not the time for that! And what's with those hands trying to take advantage of the situation?" He snarled at the twins, who were holding me between them around my neck, like I was a giant teddy bear that they were sharing. "Release my daughter!"

"We dun wanna~!" They sang.

"I'm not wearing the freaking bunny outfit!"

"Aw, but Kyoko…!"

"No!"

"Let go of Kyoko!" Tamaki tackled the twins off me, and I had to duck to avoid being tackled as well. I watched him shake them by the collars of their uniforms for a second, and then I wandered over to my cousin.

"You guys…" Kyouya-senpai spoke up for the first time. "We don't have guests right now, so I don't mind all this commotion," he didn't even look up from whatever he was typing. "But you should be careful," he finally looked up at us. "You'll wake Honey-senpai."

For whatever reason that made all three of them freeze. We didn't have clubs for another hour or so, but the Host Club was special so we were allowed to head up early to get ready. "Honey?" I looked over to the other side of the room where a night tent, and a small cot had been set up. Honey-senpai was asleep in the cot, his fist to his mouth. He looked so childish and so freaking adorable. _He's so cute. So freaking, freaking cute. I can't even understand this._

"He still takes naps even as a high school senior?" Haruhi wondered aloud. I shrugged. "Well, there's nothing for it I suppose. Let's just wake him up and apologize directly," she reached for Honey's shoulder.

"Wait!" We both turned around in surprise. The twins and Tamaki were hiding behind one of the chairs like it was a shield. "Don't get near Honey-senpai!" They all whispered at the same time.

Tamaki waved us over desperately. "Hurry, take shelter over here!"

"Weirdoes," I muttered under my breath, but we decided to humour them and we crouched behind the chair with them. "What is it?"

"Honey-senpai has a megaton-esque bad temper when people wake him up!" Tamaki whispered frantically. Haruhi cocked her head to the side bemusedly, clearly not getting it. "This is just a rumour," Tamaki began.

_And I already don't believe it._ you should only take rumours with a pinch of salt, because usually they have been added to, taken away from, exaggerated, embellished until only a few things are actually true. Having had several rumours about myself peddled around, I think I know what I'm talking about.

The terrified looks on the twin's faces were kind of funny though. "But once, in a U.S. training facility, when the Haninozuka family went for a special combat training class," Tamaki continued. "Honey-senpai was asleep the whole time due to jetlag! When one of the soldiers carelessly went to wake him up since he just kept sleeping…well…two Green Beret Special Forces platoons were instantly annihilated by Honey-senpai! It's said that the whole thing escalated into an international incident with the U.S.!"

"Scary…" the twins whimpered. I arched an eyebrow at them.

"Also," Tamaki added. "That bunny doll was hand-made by Honey-senpai's favourite late-grandmother! The fact that he always carries it around means it has to be something he cherishes a lot! If he wakes up and finds that it's appearance has changed…"

I wondered why the nuclear cloud in their imaginations was shaped like Usa-chan. "…WE'LL END UP WITH COMPLETELY CHANGED APPEARANCES!" The three of them freaked out.

"So much exaggeration," Haruhi muttered.

I nodded. "Don't tell me you guys actually believe all of that, right?"

"That rumour sounds like bull no matter how you think about it," Haruhi sat down on the chair. "We should just wake him up and apologize. It's the right thing to do."

They stopped freaking out briefly. "Okay, if you really want proof that Honey-senpai has an evil alter-ego," Tamaki whispered. "Then what about this? His blood type is AB!"

Haruhi blinked. "So…?"

"So…" Tamaki gulped. "He has the same blood type as Kyouya!"

Haruhi froze beside me, the look on her face showed that she was totally convinced. "Is something wrong with my blood type?" Kyouya asked calmly.

"Yeah, I mean," I cocked my head to the side and crossed my legs. "My blood type is AB too. Okay, why is everyone moving away from me?" The twins, Tamaki, and (to a lesser extent) Haruhi, had all started shifting away from me. I rolled my eyes. "Weirdoes." Alright, yes I did have a bad temper when I woke up, but what did that have to do with my blood group?

At that moment, Honey-senpai made a sound and rolled over in his sleep. He was going to wake up soon. "This is bad," Tamaki muttered. "We need to do something before he wakes up!" He snapped his fingers. "Hikaru, Kaoru!"

"Yes sir!"

"Get your family's Cessna!" He instructed. _And I can already tell that thins plan is going to suck._ "Fly to Mt. Osore and bring back and _itako_!" _What did I tell you? _"Have her communicate with Honey-senpai's dead grandmother so that she can make us a new bunny doll!" He suddenly held out a colourful tourist map. "Take this Aomori Prefecture map with you! As for souvenirs, don't forget to bring back apple juice and apple jam, and don't forget the Nebuta doll either!"

"I no longer know what he's talking about," I said aloud.

The twins looked exasperated. "We don't have time for that," Hikaru said.

"You can panic too," Kaoru said. "But could you also come up with something more constructive?"

"I have an idea," I rested my cheek against my palm. "We could always, I don't know, send the toy to be dry-cleaned. That's just an idea."

"Then let's do this," Tamaki turned away. "While we send the doll for cleaning, Haruhi…" he suddenly whipped out a bunny outfit. "Wear this mascot uniform."

"Nice idea!" The twins perked up. I facepalmed. _Where did that thing even come from?_ I wondered. "Kyoko…?"

"I love you guys, really, but I will punch both of you if you finish that sentence," I said with little expression in my tone.

Haruhi twitched. "I refuse!" She tried to run away, but Tamaki was holding on to the collar of her uniform. "Besides, where did you even get that from?! That is so blatantly obvious!"

"Don't worry," Tamaki looked slightly possessed. _Maybe I should help her…wait, she abandoned me to the twins!_ "With those sleepy eyes, he won't notice a little change!"

"It's not little," I piped up. "She is literally five times the size of the original."

"Then why don't you wear it!?" Haruhi screamed back at him.

"No! It won't look cute if I wear it!" He yelled, amidst her screams of 'no'. "I may have given up on the bunny girl, but you shall become a bunny with this! A bunny, you shall become!" I had a feeling that this was no longer about Honey-senpai, but was more about Tamaki's weird desire to see my cousin dressed like a rabbit.

_At any rate, with all this noise, Honey-senpai is going to wake up really soon._ A few seconds later, Honey groaned, and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning sleepily.

"No, we won't make it!" Tamaki yelled, releasing Haruhi. "We have no choice, we have to use another substitute!" That substitute turned out to be Tamaki-senpai's teddy bear. Only two things were wrong with that choice. One, it was brown, not pink. Two, it was a bear.

"Hide!" The twins grabbed me and yanked me down behind the couch for protection. We watched as Honey appraised the bear silently, and then he grabbed it, lifted it up…and threw it to the ground forcefully. _Well…_

"AH! MY TEDDY BEAR!"

"WE'RE NEXT!" Hikaru and Kaoru screamed, and then they screamed louder when Honey turned his head and spotted the tea-soaked plushie.

I watched with some concern as Honey walked over to the table, and picked up his toy. He gazed at it silently, and then turned to us. His voice sounded less cute, and much more…dangerous. "Who got my bunny doll dirty?"

The twins and Tamaki promptly cowered behind me while they screamed. "H-h-h-help us Mori-senpai!"

Mori-senpai looked up from his book. He stared at us, and then he stood up and walked over to Honey. "Usa-chan wanted to drink tea very badly," he said. I blinked. _Wait, what? I get that Honey acts like a child, but is that seriously going to work?_

There was silence for a few seconds, shocked on their side, and contemplative on Honey's side. And then, "I get it!" Honey beamed up at his cousin. "That's why his face is all dirty! Will he eat cake too?"

_I guess that answered my question._ I laughed a bit at the cute absurdity of how easy it was to avoid that disaster. "Of course he'll eat cake," I smiled. "But he has to wash his face first, okay?"

"That's right!" Honey jumped into my arms like an overexcited five year old. "After that, we want to eat chocolate cake, and strawberry cake, and cheesecake, and…"

"That much, huh?" I grinned. "That means I have to check and see if we have everything for both of you!"

oOo

We did have all those cakes. Kyouya had ordered them because of Honey-senpai, and they were the expensive kind. I considered telling him I knew where to buy cakes for half of what they were buying them for, but then I was sure the twins or Tamaki would make a commoner crack, so I didn't bother.

"Honey-senpai – Haninozuka Mitsukuni – age 17…" For some reason, Renge had decided to talk about Honey-senpai. Well, she was running our fanservice so I suppose that was one of the things she had decided to do. "Ouran Academy Hish School Senior class 3-A and member of the Host Club. His favourite things are cakes, chocolate and his bunny doll."

Speaking of the bunny doll, I managed to get it clean after a few scrubs. The twins and Tamaki had stared at me like I had done magic, which made me wonder if any of them had ever washed anything before.

"He possesses a loveliness that senior students shouldn't possess," Renge continued. "And is an invincible loli-shota character! Liking sweets and cute things are Honey-senpai's charm points…or that's how things are right now. I CAN'T STAND THIS LACKLUSTER CHARACTER SETTING! THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH SADNESS!"

"Whoa, Renge, calm down," I stared at her, and then I noticed Haruhi carrying a tea tray. "Haruhi, let me carry that!"

"Oh, but you don't need to do that," she smiled at me. "I'm sort of still the Host Club's dog, so it's part of my job to do this."

I took the tray from her. "Yeah, well I joined this weird place to help lighten your workload. Go host and leave the ferrying and serving to me, okay?" She stared at me for a moment, and then smiled and nodded. I carried the tray over to Honey's table. "Tea, anyone?"

"Oh, I'd like some!" One of the girls raised a finger. I put down a cup and saucer and poured in some tea.

Honey was more than halfway through a strawberry cream cake. "Kyoko-chan, have you had any cake?" He chirped at me.

"Not yet, Honey-senpai," I frowned with some concern. "But be careful. You shouldn't eat so much sugar. It's bad for your teeth you know."

"It's okay!" He piped happily, cutting up another forkful. "I always brush my teeth!" He shoved the fork into his mouth. "Ow!"

"Honey-senpai!" He lowered his head and his hand went to his cheek. "Honey-senpai, what's wrong?" When I tried to see the side of his face, he turned away.

"It's…nothing…" he spoke like it was painful to do so. The side of his face was beginning to swell up, and he couldn't hide it. when the rest of the Host Club came over to investigate, he began to whine and thrash. "It's nothing! It's nothing!"

"Come on, open your mouth!" Haruhi told him, but he wasn't complying.

"Honey-senpai, stay put!" The twins tried to hold him down, but he started kicking around like an irate child throwing a miniature tantrum.

"No~!" He whined louder, and then a shadow fell over him. Mori-senpai grabbed his cousin, pinned his arms down and forced his mouth open. Cue fangirls screaming behind me. I sweatdropped. _They are cousins. This is a bit incestuous, don't you think?_ And then I remembered that these were the same people that shipped the twins forbidden love, and so why would this seem strange to them?

"Yes, this! This was the missing element!" The head fangirl, Renge, yelled. "It was this MOE~!"

I focused on Honey while Renge squirmed with barely repressed excitement. "Is it a cavity?" Tamaki asked.

"Yeah," Mori-senpai confirmed. I winced. Cavities were painful, and for someone like Honey-senpai, this was going to be torture.

"No," he whimpered tearfully. "I'm fine, really!"

For the first time, Mori-senpai ignored his tears and turned to the Host Club King. "Tamaki."

"Oh, okay," the blonde nodded. "I understand," he turned to the assembled crowd of girls. And cleared his throat. "Honey-senpai is hereby banned from eating any sweets until his cavity is filled," he declared. _Oh, that is going to be hell._ "Additionally, for the time being," Tamaki added. "Everyone in the club must control the amount of snacks being consumed here."

Honey began to cry. "No, Takashi…" he sniffled. "I don't want snacks to be forbidden! It…it doesn't hurt…it doesn't hurt!" I was tearing up too, because my heart is like jell-O when it comes to cute things. I watched as Mori-senpai silently picked up the rest of Honey's cake and walked away. "Stop!" Honey cried. "That's my cake! Takashi!"

Mori turned back to him coldly. "It's forbidden."

_Whoa,_ I stared at Mori-senpai silently. Even if he did have to take away the cake, he had never been so cold towards Honey before. I mean, all Honey had to do was _cough_ and Mori was there with medicine, a hot cloth and a blanket.

"Wah!" Honey crumbled to the ground and began to cry heartrendingly. I ran over to him and picked him up and hugged him tightly. "Cake!" He bawled into my shoulder. "_Cake!_"

"And thus, though cruel it seems," Renge sighed. "Honey-senpai's hell has begun."

**Kyoko is a sucker for all things cute, and has a heart of jelly whenever she sees anyone crying.**


	24. Chapter 24

**I just realised something.**

**My Saturday thing should, chronologically, have come before this whole Honey arc. I don't know how I managed to completely disregard the nature of time and chronology, but I did. I apologise for that, and the Saturday thing will come after this arc.**

**I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. If I did, I would not be here. Shout out to Phantom's Bride for talking to me and giving me ideas.**

**Sweet Deprivation**

Honey-senpai's sentence officially began the very next day, and it looked like Mori-senpai was going to be the warden. It started in the morning with Mori-senpai pouring away all the candy that Honey had tried to sneak into the school inside his briefcase, and the handing him a menu from a patisserie.

"If you only want to look," he said expressionlessly. "Then look at that."

I winced at that. "Poor Honey-senpai," Haruhi murmured.

"He looks so crushed," I was fighting the urge to run over to him and tackle him in a hug.

"This must be tough," the twins commented simultaneously as we headed for our own classes.

"I never thought Mori-senpai would be so strict," Hikaru remarked.

I nodded. "Normally he's so much nicer and sweeter towards Honey. The way he's acting now is weird."

"Very unexpected," Kaoru nodded. "I always thought it was his principle never to do anything that would be problematic for Honey-senpai."

Haruhi cocked her head to the side and glanced at me. "Well, a cavity is already pretty problematic," she said. "Giving Honey-senpai sweets would just make it worse, wouldn't it?"

"True," I agreed. "Still, he could stand to be a bit less cold, couldn't he? In this difficult time, he should be a lot kinder." I had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before Honey cracked under the stress of the situation.

At least Kyouya was happy, I noticed. When we got to the Host Club after school, I had seen him tapping away at his computer and calculator with a huge smile. I guess the budget for all the sweets and snacks was actually quite substantial. _Well, at least one of us is happy,_ I sighed and looked around for Honey. He was sitting in a corner with a determined look on his face. _He looks like he's planning something._

**Honey's Begging Strategy!**

**No. 1: Appeal Cutely**

"Takashi~!"

I looked up from my job of arranging teacups on their saucers, while simultaneously trying not to get groped by the twins (especially Hikaru) and roped into cosplaying with them. I noticed Honey running towards Mori. He was radiating such sheer cuteness that it was near blinding.

"Takashi, I think my cavity's filled~!" _it's only been a day. That isn't possible._

"I see," Mori hummed.

"And my swelling's gone~!" Honey chirped. His swelling had gone. I wondered how many packs of ice he had held to his cheek for that to happen.

"I see," Mori repeated, with the same dead tone.

"So..." Honey looked like he was going to combust from excitement. "Can I have just one cake, please?" Before the word was even out of his mouth, Mori shoved an _ice cream bar_ into his mouth. And not just any ice cream bar, this one looked like it had been shoved into the depths of the freezer and left there for a month. It was that hard.

The second Honey's teeth chomped down on it, he reared back with a strangled, pained scream, and ran away. "Honey-senpai!" I glared at Mori was all the anger I was feeling at the moment, which was a lot let me tell you. It took the twins twenty minutes to calm me down.

**Status: Failed**

**No. 2: Indirect Tactic**

Honey reappeared when the club actually started. His swelling had gone down again, and I had to wonder how he was doing that.

Anyway, he seemed to have realised that he wouldn't be getting any sweets from his cousin, and so he set his sights on two girls snacking on some cucumber sandwiches together. I sweatdropped at the looks on their faces when they spotted Honey staring at them with intent.

I watched as he scurried up to them and beamed that _I'm-so-innocent-and-adorable-aren't-I_ smile. "What are you pretty ladies drinking?" He asked cheerfully.

"Uh, w-we're having some Darjeeling tea, Honey-kun," one of the girls replied nervously, with a forced smile.

"Hmm?" He smiled happily at both of them. "What are you eating?"

I sighed. "This is just hard to watch," I murmured to Haruhi. She nodded silently as we watched Honey-senpai practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Well," one girl murmured. Both girls put down their tea and plates and pushed back their chairs. "We're really...SORRY HONEY-KUN!" I raised my eyebrows as they both took off running in another direction. "THIS IS FOR YOUR SAKE!" _They are stronger than I am,_ I stared at Honey's dejected stance.

**Status: Failed**

**No. 3: Win With Tears**

Clubs were nearly over, and I was tidying up the tea sets and flowers when Honey approached me with his head down. "Honey-senpai, are you alright?"

Instead of answering, he reached out and grabbed the sleeve of my uniform. "Kyo-chan, am I a bad person?" He looked up at me with watery eyes. "Did I do something bad to make God hate me?"

I tried to resist him, I really did, but I was willing to do nearly anything to not see such a sad look on Honey's face. I crouched down slightly and peered around nervously to make sure no one was watching. "Okay, look, I brought some mini chocolate bars today. I'll let you have one, if you're careful about it."

He nodded excitedly. I reached into my pocket, feeling like I was dealing crack illegally, and, just as I was about to bring out a chocolate bar, two arms grabbed me. "Sorry Honey-senpai," the twins called as they dragged me away. "Mori-senpai's orders."

"He said something like this would happen," Kaoru said.

"Our Kyoko really is a sucker for tears, isn't she?" Hikaru taunted.

"I TRIED!" I cried as I was dragged away. "I REALLY TRIED!"

**Status: Failed**

oOo

By the third day, Honey was at his wits end. I could see it in the way he stopped smiling and started glaring at any and everything that crossed his path. At that moment, he was clutching Usa-chan tightly and pacing around in a small, agitated circle. "He's pissed," Tamaki commented quietly.

"Could someone go talk to him?" Kaoru asked.

"He looks willing to murder someone," I whispered. "So no, I don't recommend it." How long does it take for a cavity to get filled anyway? A sugar-deprived Honey was a scary Honey.

A door slammed. "Ah, he's heading for the snack cupboard!" Hikaru yelled.

"Don't worry," Kyouya smiled. "It's empty right now." Haruhi and I stared at the smile on his face silently.

"Kyouya-senpai, you seem...really happy about this," my cousin remarked.

"It's because the club is saving a lot of money from not buying expensive cakes and snacks," I explained to her quietly. "Even though all that isn't necessary anyway, and there are places where quality cakes can be bought more cheaply. If you guys make a commoner crack," I snapped, glaring at the twins. Their mouths were already open. "Then I'll be really busy this Saturday."

They closed their mouths and just shrugged and grinned. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Honey. He was staring at Tamaki's teddy bear, and then he raised it over his head and slammed it on the ground. "AH, MY TEDDY BEAR AGAIN!" Tamaki screamed.

Slowly, Honey stumbled out of the snack room, paused for a second, and then collapsed. "Ah, he's dead," Hikaru said. "He's giving up after three days?"

"Three days is a long time for this sort of withdrawal," I said. "Someone should go check if he's breathing." We all turned to Tamaki silently. "Well, majority carries the vote!" I smiled.

"Good luck, my lord!" The twins pushed him in Honey's direction and then scampered back to the safety of the table.

Tamaki glared back at us, and then turned nervously to the prone upperclassman on the ground. "H-Honey-senpai?" He shook Honey tentatively. Honey instantly reared up and chomped down on his arm like a humanoid venus flytrap, or a piranha. "ARGH! LET GO! IT'S GOING TO BREAK! ARGH!"

A chair scraped back and Mori-senpai rose to his feet, and we all turned to stare in surprised curiousity as he walked over to where Honey was chomping on Tamaki's hand like it would substitute for cake and sweets. "Mitsukuni," his voice was stern. "Stop directing your anger at objects and people."

Honey immediately released Tamaki's hand in stunned realisation. That would have been fine and all, but then Mori had to add to it.

"You're being shameless."

There was silence for a second, and then Honey turned to stare at his cousin with the angriest face I had ever seen him wear. "Takashi…" And then, to our shock, he grabbed the much larger male and _judo flipped him_. "YOU IDIOT!"

Takashi flew, at least, two metres, and bounced for an extra half, and then he just lay on the ground staring at the ceiling silently. He didn't try to defend himself, he didn't try to attack Honey. He just…lay there, like nothing mattered and he deserved this.

Honey breathed heavily. "Just a little is okay, you cheap punk!" He yelled. "Stubborn pig! Takashi…I HATE YOU!" With that, he ran from the room with tears in his eyes. Mori sat up slowly, but he didn't try to go after him. He looked so…sad. _All of this because of cake. _Tamaki ran after the crying blonde, but Mori didn't even look up.

"Mori-senpai…" Hikaru started nervously.

"Are you alright?" Kaoru asked. I walked over to the upperclassman as he climbed to his feet. He took a few steps, wobbling as though he couldn't stand on his own, and leaned against a table. He fell to his knees and didn't try getting up again.

"Mori-senpai," I watched him silently. Although he still looked rather stoic, I could see that he was hurting pretty badly.

"Mori-senpai is pretty damaged," Hikaru said. "But I guess it can't be helped since he did it to himself…"

Kaoru nodded. "If he was going to feel this horrible over it, then he shouldn't have done all those things to make Honey-senpai hate him."

I blinked up at the twins. "He did all those things on purpose?" I stared at Mori-senpai. That would make sense, but it really didn't explain _why_ he wanted Honey-senpai to dislike him.

"Mori-senpai," Haruhi began. "Did you do all those things intentionally so that Honey-senpai would hate you?"

"Of course not!" Hikaru brushed it off, but I saw Mori-senpai's head turn just a little bit to the side, like he was acknowledging what she had said.

Kaoru nodded. "Being hated by Honey-senpai would be the end of the world for Mori-senpai! Why would he want to do that?" They both asked the last part simultaneously.

"Like, to hurt himself," Haruhi suggested.

"To punish himself," I realised. "Is that it, Mori-senpai?"

He didn't say anything for a while. "It was my fault," he finally said. The rest of the Host Club stared at him in confusion. "It was my carelessness that led to Mitsukuni's cavity." I arched an eyebrow. _Okay…how is that?_ "I forgot to tell him to brush his teeth before napping…twice."

I facepalmed."Not exactly the sad, heartrending confession I expected."

"And isn't that really…" Hikaru sweatdropped.

Kaoru sweatdropped as well. "…Honey-senpai's fault"

"If Mitsukuni had to get all his teeth replaced," Mori-senpai covered his face with his hands. "I…I…"

I sweatdropped at the earnestness in the not-at-all desperate situation. "It is not that serious. One cavity isn't going to do that."

"He is unexpectedly negative, isn't he?" Haruhi commented to me.

Mori removed one hand from his face. If Renge was there, she would have been crowing about how well he played the _tragic hero_ or whatever it was her fangirl-senses told her. "If Mitsukuni didn't throw me like that," he said. "I would never be able to forgive myself."

Kyouya hummed quietly. "So he was being strict on Honey-senpai because he was punishing himself, huh?"

I sighed. "Completely unnecessary," I said bluntly. "It's just a cavity. A single cavity is not that serious. Almost everyone gets one at some stage in their lives."

And yet, as I was speaking, the door of the music room opened again and Honey and Tamaki appeared in the entrance. Honey, probably having heard the story through the door, ran at Mori and hugged the taller male tightly. "Wah, I'm sorry Takashi!" He wept. "I won't forget to brush my teeth anymore, I promise!"

"Aw," I smiled and cooed at the adorable, poignant scene in front of me. "This is beautiful."

The twins stared at me silently. "You are a sucker for tears, aren't you?" They asked simultaneously.

I shrugged and smiled. "I'm just glad everything worked out fine, okay?"

oOo

After two more days, Honey-senpai's cavity had completely healed over. He immediately began catching up on all the sugar he had missed during his…incapacitation. This, of course, meant that Kyouya now had to go back to spending a considerable about of club funds on snacks, and that was killing the poor guy.

"Well," I stretched and rested an arm on Hikaru's shoulder. "At least everything's back to normal around here." The twins and Tamaki nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Tamaki noticed someone standing at the door of the club. "Oh, are you a new client perhaps?" The girl's eyes were fixed on only one person. "Hmm, a Mori-senpai fan."

"It's that girl from before," Haruhi murmured quietly.

I stared at my cousin. "Who?"

"The authoress was unable to watch that part so you don't know her."

"What?"

"Nothing."

We turned back to the girl, who had walked into the room and had stopped in front of Mori-senpai. "I finally understand," she said quietly. "Who Mori-kun's special someone is," she glanced over ta Honey. Mori stared down at her impassively. "I can't believe that Mori-kun's special someone is Honey-kun." _Poor girl. This must hurt a bit._ "That's…that's…SO GREAT!"

_WHAT!?_ I stared as flowers and hearts appeared around her and she morphed into a fangirl right before my very eyes. "Looks like you've managed to take a step into a brand new world," Renge smiled at the girl. She was still doing her weird emcee thing with the microphone.

I wrapped my arms around my cousin's shoulders from behind, and rested my chin on her shoulder. "This is how fangirls are created, isn't it?" I wondered. She hummed her agreement, and then we watched the heaving mass of girls scream while watching Mori-senpai wipe cream from Honey-senpai's cute and smiling face. "My ears hurt…"

"Good god," Haruhi stared.

"They look like they're going to explode," I told her. We just stood there for a while, watching them and swapping snarky comments and smart-aleck observations, until Haruhi was called over for her own customers, leaving me standing alone.

"Kyo-ko~!" Someone hugged me around my neck from the back, and a chin was placed at the top of my head. Since Kaoru was standing in front of me, I had to assume that the one hugging me from behind was actually Hikaru.

I sighed. "Don't you guys have work right now?"

Kaoru grinned. "You sort of work with us now, anyway," he reminded me. As it turns out, the whole HikaruxmexKaoru thing was actually a hit. Of course, there had been a downside. I got a lot of glares from staunch twin lovers, and the school newspaper had actually done a front page article on how I was probably sleeping with both of them.

"Kyoko?" I felt the head above mine shift so it was right next to mine, and then Hikaru blew into my ear. I yelped loudly. "What. The. Absolute. Frick?" With every word, I scrubbed at my ear.

Hikaru replaced his head on top of mine. "You zoned out," he grinned down at me.

I huffed and closed my eyes. "What do you guys want?" I asked. "I should actually be serving tea right now, and you guys should be hosting."

"Most of the designations right now are for Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai," Hikaru explained. "So we're pretty free at the moment. We wanted to ask if you were ready for this Saturday."

_I have sold my soul to these two for a whole day,_ I couldn't help gulping as I stared at them. _This was _not_ wise._


	25. Chapter 25

**BEHOLD: THE SATURDAY CHAPTER! *throws confetti and balloons* I spent like three days on this. It was going to be shorter, but then I was like **_**"Butterfly, what are you doing?! THIS IS A CHANCE TO INCLUDE ALL THE ROMANCE YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF!"**_** So, instead, I made it the longest chapter so far (more than 5000 words).**

**So, yeah, enjoy! I am not responsible for any squeals, nosebleeds and excessive amounts of fluff-induced fainting and fangirling.**

**This Could Be A Date...Maybe...**

It was Saturday. Saturday i.e. the day I had signed my life over to the twins. For the whole day I would be (almost) completely at their mercy. I have said this before, haven't I? Many times, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I had never been alone with just the twins before. I mean, there was that time I went to visit, but they were sick most of the time so that doesn't exactly count. And it wasn't for that long anyway.

_Ugh..._ I lay in bed and covered my face with my arms. In spite of my grunts, I was actually looking forward to the day. Why not? The twins were cool, and we were great friends. In spite of their apparent selfishness, they could be pretty generous. At least, they seemed pretty generous when it came to me.

_How did my life get like this?_ I smiled to myself happily. A few months ago, I would never have imagined that something like this would happen to me. I mean, I was pretty much labelled a man-hater at my last school, and I wasn't really girly. Apart from being able to tell them apart, there was literally nothing else about me that would attract the twins.

_Besides, _I mused. _Haruhi can tell them apart as well, and they aren't following her about and giving her petnames. Speaking of Haruhi..._ I rolled over and sat up to stare at the bed pushed against the wall. I had been sleeping on a futon on the ground for the past week because I liked how it felt. Sometimes Haruhi and I slept on her bed together (even though it was really small).

The bed was empty, which was not a surprise as Haruhi was a really early riser. What did surprise me was that the bed was unmade. Haruhi was a bit of a neat freak, so something must have really captured her attention for her to leave without making her bed.

I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand and yawned, and that was when I became aware of the voices coming from outside the room. "_You can't just barge in here!_" That was Haruhi. "_Besides, Kyoko is still asleep!_"

"_Oh?" _Someone said. "_That's okay. We'll go wake her up then,_" two very familiar voices said at the same time. My eyes snapped open and I was suddenly wide awake. _The hell? Are those the twins?! What the hell are they doing here so early? _I quickly rolled off the bed, sprinted to the door and locked it, just as the handle turned and someone tried to enter.

I heard tutting from the other side of the door. "Oh, so you are awake then, Kyoko?" That was Hikaru. I could almost see the matching smirks on their faces.

"I am _now_," I leaned against the door and sighed. "What are you guys doing here anyway? I thought we were going to meet at cinema later." We had planned to watch a movie, and then walk around the streets and shops.

"Well..." That was Kaoru. "Our mom brought home some clothes from her last fashion shoot and we wanted you to try them on!"

I sweatdropped. "So, basically you drove over here at eight in the morning just to play dress up with me?"

There was silence for a second on the other side. "Yep, pretty much!" I facepalmed and sighed into my hand. That reminded me...I was still a mess. I hadn't brushed, or had a bath. There was no way in hell I was letting them see me like this! "Come out, Kyoko~!"

"Uh..." I quickly crawled over to the desk in the room and grabbed my phone. I pressed a button on speed dial. Somewhere in the house, Haruhi's twin-given phone rang. She picked up on the third ring. "Uh...Haruhi?"

"_Kyoko?_" She sounded like she was sweatdropping. "_Why are you calling me when we're in the same apartment?_"

"Because the twins are outside the door and I haven't bathed or anything!" I have my pride! I could bear walking out there without having my bath, and with my rough, braid of bed-hair, but I would _not_ walk out there with morning breath goddammit! "So could you _please_ distract them? Please?"

She sighed. "_Well, I guess I could try...OI, YOU GUYS, I HAVE BABY PICTURES OF KYOKO!_"

"REALLY?" I heard the thudding sound of feet running in the other direction and I groaned. _At least it worked._ I quickly snuck out of the room and ran into the bathroom to perform the necessary ablutions and morning rituals necessary to make sure I didn't look, or smell, like a zombie.

When I walked into the main room and found the twins poring over a bunch of pictures. Haruhi had made herself scarce, probably to avoid my annoyance at her tactic.

I sighed and wandered over to stare over their shoulders at the pictures. "Could you guys _not?_" I groaned. Why had my mom sent all these pictures to Uncle Ryouji?

They both looked up at me with wide grins. "Why not, Kyoko?" Hikaru asked, and then he held up a picture of me from when I was about three. I was dressed in a baby panda suit and playing with the ears. "You look so cute!"

"What about this one?" Kaoru held up one of me dressed like a fairy and clutching a wand while blushing. I looked about six there. "Our kitten looks so adorable, right?"

"Definitely!"

I glared at them, and then sighed. "Weren't you guys going to force me into several clothes earlier?" I reminded them. I really didn't want them to get to the really incriminating ones of me in the bathtub. My mom is a lot like uncle Ryouji is with Haruhi. Or, at least, she used to be. She mellowed out over the years as I got older.

That seemed to get their attention, at any rate, because they looked up from the photographs and nodded with wide, matching smiles that did not bode well for me. "Yeah, we were!" In a flash, they had dragged me back into my room. That was when I noticed a bunch of clothes that looked like they had just been dry-cleaned.

Hikaru picked one up. "You're going to try all of them, one by one," he instructed.

"And then you're going to show them to us," Kaoru smiled at me. "We'll pick the one we like best."

I folded my arms and stared at the two of them. I debated arguing with them, but then I decided not to. I did like dressing up (if you tell anyone I will kill you), and I was sure the clothes would be great (as long as none of them brought me lingerie or something equally weird). "Fine," I held out my hands for the first outfit, which looked like a dress. "Now, both of you, get out."

They tried giving me concerned, puppy dog faces. "But, Kyoko, what if you need help?"

"I'm sure I'll manage," I replied dryly. "Shoo," I pushed them out the door and locked it for extra measure. "Now..." I pulled out the dress. It was dark yellow, which was already a bad thing in my books, but it was actually pretty cute. It was a short, empire waist dress that accentuated my bust and drew some attention to my hips. The detailing on the bust was pretty cute too.

The twins gave me a critical once-over when I opened the door. "What do you think, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked his brother. "Out of ten?"

"I give it a four," Hikaru replied.

"I give it a five," Kaoru tossed me another outfit. "Try this one!"

This went on for all fifteen, yes _fifteen_ outfits, until they both decided on one. "Finally!" I placed a hand on my hip and stared at them. I was wearing a black high-low skirt that went down to my ankles at the back, and stopped a few inches above my knees in front. The fabric was heavy, and kind of velvety. I was wearing it with a white, sleeveless spaghetti top with a rose trellis design.

The twins had even brought _shoes_. What was wrong with them? I could have just worn jeans and a top and been out in a few minutes! "You look beautiful, kitten," Hikaru's face was suddenly right in front of mine. I gave a startled squeak and staggered backwards in the heels I was wearing, and landed right in Kaoru's arms.

"Be careful, sweetheart," he murmured in my ear, and his arms tightened around my waist. "We don't want you to fall."

I quickly jumped out of his arms. "Is the whole day going to be like this?" I yelled at both of them, a blush staining my cheeks.

They looked at each other, and then back at me. "Yep, pretty much."

"Great," I groaned. "And these shoes…" I stared at the pretty, white sandals I was sporting. It irked me to know that, even with three-inch heels, I still wasn't as tall as they were. "I can't walk too fast in them."

"That's good," Kaoru smirked at me. "Now we're sure you won't run away from us."

"Besides, your legs look amazing," Hikaru fixed his eyes on my legs. "How come I never noticed how great they look?"

My face flamed and I crossed my legs nervously. "Could you stop staring at me so blatantly please?" I finally snapped. "It's really awkward and uncomfortable for me!"

Kaoru blinked and tilted his head to the side. "We didn't mean to make you feel that way," he smiled gently. Kaoru was always the more gentle one.

"We just think you're cute," Hikaru grinned. Hikaru was the blunt one. I blushed, but I covered it up with a huff. I quickly turned around and missed the pleased smiles on their faces. _Perverts,_ but I couldn't help smiling just a bit. It's nice to be told that you are beautiful. Props if it comes from someone you actually care about.

I grabbed my bag from the table and flipped out my phone. "It's almost ten, isn't it? Have you guys had breakfast already?"

They both shook their heads. "We'll eat breakfast at a restaurant on the way," Kaoru told me. "One last thing, though," he cocked his head to the side. "Where's the clip we bought you?"

I brought it out from my suitcase. It was still in its box because nothing had happened to warrant its appearance. "Put it on," Hikaru said. I did, using it to keep my hair in a messy bun. "Perfect. Are you ready to go?" They both held their hands out to me, and I slid my fingers into theirs like I'd been doing it my whole life (if my whole life was the months I'd been at Ouran).

I left a note for Haruhi, and then made sure to lock up the house with my key. There was a car parked in front of the complex. Although it was _not_ a limousine, it was still really shiny and looked really fancy. Luckily, it was still sort-of early, so there weren't a lot of people around to stare. "So, Kyoko, where do you want to go for breakfast?" Kaoru asked me when we were seated.

My mind blanked. Like I said, when given unlimited choice, I freeze and sometimes choose the stupidest option. I was determined not to do that this time, which was why I chose Spurs. I had only been there once for breakfast, but their bacon had stuck in my mind.

Not too many people regularly crashed at restaurants for breakfast on a Saturday morning, so it was nearly empty. The guy at the front sighed loudly when he heard us come in. "Welcome, may I take your...well he-_llo_..." He suddenly grinned at me. "Hello miss, what would you like?"

He looked to be about my age. Maybe a year older. Normally, I would have said something curt to make him back off, but I was too busy staring at the menu and thinking of my poor stomach, which had seized painfully when we walked in and I had inhaled the scent of pancakes and frying bacon.

So, no, I didn't say anything to deter him. "Um…can I have this?" I turned to the twins and pointed at what I wanted on the menu. "Please?"

Kaoru looked down at me, while Hikaru was glaring at the guy over my shoulder. "Of course you can, sweetheart," he smiled. "You can get whatever you want. We're paying." I blinked up at him, feeling really awkward because I don't like relying on other people so much, but then turned back to the counter to make my order.

The guy and Hikaru were still engaged in a glaring contest, but he blinked when he heard what Kaoru call me. "Are you guys dating?"

"Yes!" The twins said, at the same time that I yelled "No!" I glared at them, and they smirked back at me. "Two versus one," they chorused. "Majority carries the vote!" I sweatdropped. _Can I just get my food, please?_

"Wait, both of you?" He blinked at me. "That doesn't make much sense. How can she even tell you apart?"

"I can," I replied simply. _I'm hungry. You guys order so we can eat!_

The guy smirked. "You're cute, you know that?" He grinned. "Anytime you get tired of those guys, you know where to find me…"

"Uh…" I blinked at him. "I'm not really interested." Besides, the way he had brushed off the twins had been really rude. "So, can I get a pancake and bacon?"

Hikaru scoffed and stared at me. "Are you sure that's all you want?" He asked me. I gave a half shrug because no, that was not all I wanted, but I wasn't about to make them spend a lot of money on me like I was a pet, or a gold-digger. That was the last thing I wanted them to think I was.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you want to look at it), at Hikaru's insistence, I ended up getting a lot more pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and toast. The twins placed at order for their food right after mine. "Whoo," the guy at the checkout counter grinned down at me flirtatiously, even though I had just said no. "I like a girl that can eat."

"Kyoko," Hikaru snapped harshly. "Your food's here." It was. I promptly forgot all about the conversation and grabbed my tray. "Save a seat for us, okay kitten?" I nodded and quickly found a window niche with a great view of outside. Summer was drawing to a close, and it was nearly autumn. It was warm enough to wear T-shirts, but cool enough that most shops had started advertising hot drinks as opposed to cold beverages.

I smiled over my pancakes and bacon, and tried to arrange the strawberries on it to look like a face.

**Twins POV**

As soon as their cute toy and kitten was out of earshot, the twins turned to stare at the boy on the other side of the counter with cold fury in their eyes. "Let's get a few things straight," Hikaru said curtly. "You do _not_ flirt with our kitten."

"You do not _look_ at her..."

"You do not _smile_ at her..."

"You do not _speak _to her. I don't care if you've been shot and you need an ambulance," Kaoru folded his arms across his chest.

"If you do try to attempt any of the aforementioned things," Hikaru smirked dangerously. "I know several people who can make someone like you disappear _very_ easily."

The guy's eyes widened. He didn't know who these guys were, but the way they spoke, and the way they acted...it was clear that it would be a _very_ bad thing to get on their bad side, so he nodded very quickly. The twins smiled, satisfied with their 'talk'. "I'm glad you see things our way," Hikaru said. "Now, what to order..."

**Kyoko's POV**

I was halfway through my pancake when two trays dropped in front of me and the twins slid into the seats across from me. "Does it taste good?" Kaoru asked me.

I nodded and swallowed the bite of syrup-covered pancake in my mouth. "Yeah," I cut another bit. "They make really good pancakes here," I noticed that Kaoru hadn't gotten a pancake. "Kaoru, don't you like pancakes?"

"He doesn't like sweet things all that much," Hikaru replied for his twin. Kaoru smiled ad shrugged slightly. "Unlike me," his eyes lowered slightly, until I was pretty sure he was staring at my mouth. "I love sweet things."

_No. Stop. Don't you dare blush Kyoko! DON'T FREAKING-! Nope, there I go._ I coloured very nicely, and shoved a bite of scrambled egg into my mouth to distract myself.

"Huh, that was weird," I commented as the car drove us away from the restaurant. "He refused to look at me whatsoever. Before that, he wouldn't stop staring, and then he suddenly looked so traumatised," I tapped my bottom lip with a finger, and then stared at the twins out of narrowed eye. "Did you guys say something to him?"

They both gave me innocent looks. "Why, Kyoko, what could we possibly say to him?" I wasn't buying the _I'm-so-innocent-I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about_ thing, but I dropped it anyway. The car dropped us off at the shopping district, which was basically a long line of different shops. Haruhi and I weren't much for spending money on clothes, so I didn't go there often.

It was almost twelve now, and the streets were beginning to fill up with people going about their business. "Come on, Kyoko!" They helped me out of the car. "Our day starts now!"

I suppose it did. We watched a romantic movie, and they both laughed at me when I blushed and looked away when nude or almost nude scenes came on. Then they dragged me into a variety of high class shops that I had never been in, and would probably never go into again.

_I can always look anyway, _I thought to myself. The twins had disappeared amongst the racks of silk and velvet fabrics, so I decided to look around by myself for a bit. I was examining a black and white dress with an almost Victorian air to it, when I felt two presences on either side of me. "That's pretty cute," Hikaru commented. "I didn't think it was your style though."

"I love Victorian era clothes," I took the dress off the rack and held it to my body for inspection. It looked like it would fit. I turned it around to check the price tag. _Yeow!_

"Okay!" I put it back like it had burned my hands. "You guys, can we go elsewhere now? I feel really out of place here."

They both blinked, and then I saw Hikaru eye the dress over my shoulder. "You like that dress, don't you?" Kaoru asked me. I nodded slowly, because yeah I did like it. Victorian era dresses are really beautiful and elegant. Haruhi and I may not be very feminine, but we did have some facets. I liked cosplaying and modelling clothes, but I would never tell another soul that (especially the twins).

"Then we'll get it for you," Hikaru decided.

"What!?" They had already grabbed the dress from behind me and were marching over to the cash register. The woman in the front had glared at us darkly when we had first entered, until the twins had flashed the name _Hitachiin_ at her. Suddenly, she was all smiles and complete friendliness. "Wait, you guys, no!"

They weren't listening to me. I wanted to groan and rip my hair out. They were acting like little kids! Little kids with a lot of money to spend. _That's it!_ I marched over to the register and grabbed both of them by the arms. I pulled them out of the shop and glared at both of them with my hands on my hips.

"What is _wrong_ with you two?" I snapped. "Why the hell do you want to get me that? It. Is. Expensive! Why do you guys want to give me that?"

There was silence for a few seconds, and then Hikaru spoke. "What? I thought girls loved dresses and all that sparkly stuff."

"Don't make me hit you," I scowled. "Is that what you think I want from you? I just wanted us to spend the day together! Chocolates and hairclips are one thing, but you can't start buying me dresses like I'm your mistress!" Crap, I was beginning to choke on my words. I didn't know I felt so emotional about this. "Dammit you guys," I tried to scrub away any wannabe tears from my eyes. "Do you think I'm some sort of gold-digger or something? You _know_ I don't care about your money."

There was silence for a while, and then I felt fingers at my cheek. _Kaoru._ "We don't think of you like that," he told me. "You're just really precious to us, Kyoko," he blushed at the confession, as did his twin.

The knot in my throat loosened. I blushed as well. "Yeah, well, that's another thing," I muttered and looked down at the tips of my sandals. "Why am I special to you? Haruhi can tell you guys apart too, you know."

They both stared at me, like I had just asked them the silliest question ever. "That's a useless question," Hikaru snapped suddenly.

"Do we really need to tell you?" Kaoru smiled. "You can tell us apart..."

"You see more than what everyone else sees..."

"You look after us..."

"You spend time with us..."

"You help us when we need you..."

"Plus," Hikaru smirked and touched my cheek gently. "You're really cute." I blushed bright red and batted his hand away from my face. "Does that answer your question?"

"Y-yeah," I nodded, trying to hide both my blush, and my raging happiness. I felt like floating out the window. _That was so cute!_ "We're still not buying any expensive stuff though!"

In the end, they _both_ bought me a silver necklace with capital letter K in gothic writing dangling from it. I fingered it thoughtfully as we made our way out of the mall, done with that day's visit. This day was supposed to be my way of paying the twins back for the chocolate! And now, here I was, heaping up more expensive debts! I sighed softly.

They caught the soft exhale. "Kyoko, are you okay?" Hikaru asked with concern.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. My feet just hurt," I said. It wasn't a complete lie. My feet did hurt. Walking around in four inch wedges will give anyone a foot-ache.

"Then why don't we get some lunch?" Kaoru suggested.

I brightened at that. "There's a park nearby," I told them excitedly. "And there's a stand where they sell really good crepes!" The twins didn't look convinced. They probably weren't used to street food. "Maybe the crepes aren't made by a chef flown all the way from France," I teased them good-naturedly. "But they are really good crepes. Look, I'll show you!"

The park was a short walk from the mall. It was about four in the evening. The stretch of green was still buzzing, but probably not as crowded as it was earlier. I dragged the twins over to the crepe stand to make our orders. I got a chocolate, Hikaru got a strawberry one, while Kaoru opted for a blueberry one.

"Mmm, this is so good," I swallowed my bite and stared at the twins. "Come on, take a bite! I promise it's really good!"

They both glanced at each other, and then back at me. "If it isn't, you're getting a punishment game," Hikaru muttered, and then he took a bite. Kaoru followed suit. "Huh," he chewed, swallowed, and licked a bit of syrup off his upper lip. "Not bad, I suppose."

"It's good," Kaoru nodded, taking a larger bite. We found a place to sit on the grass in the middle of the park, under a huge cherry blossom, and proceeded to eat our crepes in peace. I finished my crepe last, and licked a bit of chocolate sauce off my face, and then I wiped my mouth clean with the tissue paper around the crepe.

"Aw, what a waste," Hikaru frowned.

I paused and turned to stare at him. "You were not about to lick my face, were you?"

The twin shrugged. "Well you had a bit of chocolate there," he pointed out. "You would have tasted really good..."

"Okay!" I raised my voice a bit so it was louder than his. "Let's not venture there, okay?" I crumpled up our tissue and carried them to the dustbin to throw away. As I did, I passed by a man pulling a violin from a case. I momentarily forgot what I was supposed to be doing and watched him put the instrument to his chin and set the bow to the strings.

A jaunty tune rose up from the strings. It sounded like a waltz. Something fast-paced and fun. "Huh, not bad," Hikaru was suddenly at my side.

"How does a street performer know this piece?" Kaoru asked from my other side.

"Many street performers tend to be pretty well-read in whatever _modus operandi_ they've chosen to make money," I told them. "I wish I could dance, though. Haruhi told me she once had to learn how to waltz for some party the Host Club threw, but when I asked her to teach me, she started acting really weird."

Hikaru made a noise that sounded like a choked laugh, but quickly schooled his features when I turned to look at him. "We'll teach you then," Kaoru took a step back and then bowed at the waist. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

I suppose a park at near evening was a strange place to learn to waltz, but who cares? I curtsied and placed my hand in his. "You may," I giggled, and then I squeaked when he suddenly pulled me closer and placed a hand on my waist. When I tried to look down so I would know where to put my feet, he forced my head back up.

"Don't look at your feet," he whispered an inch from my nose. "Look at me." I gulped, and then yelped as Kaoru led me in a stream of somewhat complicated but repetitive steps, but I caught on quickly. I forgot to think too much about where my legs were and where they were supposed to be, I just followed his movements back and forth and left and right.

He suddenly stopped and spun me right into Hikaru's arms. "What the-?"

"My turn," Hikaru cut me off, and then the steps changed just slightly. There were also other differences too. While Kaoru's hands had been gentle and guiding on my waist, Hikaru's hands were firmer, but no less caring.

After half an hour, the music drew to a stop and that was when I heard people clapping. I went bright red. I hadn't realized that we'd actually drawn a crowd. _At least the violin man is happy._ He had probably made triple of what he would have normally made had we not been there. "Ah, that was fun!" The twins chorused as I dragged them away from the crowd. "Our kitten is a quick learner!"

"Yeah, well, I had good teachers," I flopped backwards onto the grass and closed my eyes. All that fancy footwork and twirling had made me tired as well as dizzy. "Mmm, this is nice," I hummed quietly. I heard two thuds, and then the twins were lying beside me and gazing up at the sky through the leaves of the tree.

"I guess," Hikaru said.

"Yeah," Kaoru smiled. I laughed to myself. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I closed my eyes.

For all their similarities, they were so intrinsically different. I was beginning to notice small things about them that I hadn't noticed before. I wondered if they were doing the same to me. I blushed at the thought.

"Hey, you guys?" When I didn't get an answer immediately, I sat up. They had both dozed off. I suppose all the walking, the crepes, and the gentle warmth of the near-summer breeze had gotten to them. I smiled and ran a hand through Kaoru's hair, and brushed a finger against Hikaru's cheek. "You guys are hopeless. Wake up, you can't fall asleep here!"

They didn't stir at all. Either that had managed to fall asleep really quickly, or they were feeling really lazy and refusing to move. Either way, they weren't getting up, and so I just sat there between them. I watched them doze. I watched the clouds move across the sky. I watched the sky change colour, from blue, to orange, and then the first stirrings of the blue of dusk in the horizon.

Kaoru was the first to wake up. "Huh?" He blinked up at the sky sleepily and sat up. "It's already this late huh?"

"Well, I tried to wake both of you up," I pointed out. "But you wouldn't get up even after I shook you."

He laughed quietly. "We're both deep sleepers," he told me, and then he didn't say anything for a while. I was about to ask how we were to wake up his brother when he did speak. "Kyoko, I don't think I like you."

I blinked. "What?" _What? What do you mean you don't like me? I thought we were friends! Did I do something?_ I was freaking out internally.

Kaoru shrugged, and smiled at me gently. "I mean I don't think I like you romantically," he explained. I puffed out a relieved breath, and then stared at him in confusion. "I'm not sure though," he sighed. "You're funny and sweet and cute." With every word, I could feel my face flaming. He looked up at the darkening sky. "Hikaru likes you though, I'm sure of that. Actually," he mused. "I think it's more than that, but he's a bit hopeless at showing his true feelings."

_Hikaru likes you. _I stared at him silently, stunned by his words._ Actually, I think it's more than that._

_More than that? Does that mean...does that mean what I think it means?_ I didn't know what to think, but I did know that Kaoru's sudden revelation made me search my heart. That Hikaru probably liked me made a sudden thrill shoot through my chest. I flushed and tried to calm myself. ""

I felt Hikaru shift on my other side. Kaoru and I watched him yawn and sit up. "Oh," he mumbled sleepily. "Is it already this late? How annoying."

I couldn't help it, I giggled. This day had been more than I bargained for. "Should we go home now?" I asked them.

"I suppose," Kaoru nodded. "It's getting late, isn't it?" We flagged down a taxi on the main road. "This was fun."

"I wish we hadn't fallen asleep though," Hikaru huffed. "That was a waste of time." _If you hadn't fallen asleep, I wouldn't have gotten to talk to Kaoru._ "Ah well," he suddenly fished out his phone and flipped it open. "At least I have memories!"

I gaped at the picture he was using as his screen background. It was a picture of me eating my crepe with an elated look on my face. "WHEN DID YOU TAKE THAT!?" I yelped. "Wait, how many of those have you got?"

They both looked at each other, and then back at me. "A lot," they answered at the same time. "We even have some from when you were trying on clothes-!"

"WHAT! HOW? WHEN WERE YOU TAKING PICTURES? DELETE THEM!"

"Aw, but you look so cute!"

"PERVERTS!"

**I wanted to put a kiss scene somewhere, but it didn't work out too well in my mind. I wasn't feeling too good so my mind was not completely focused on the chapter. I'M SORRY! I will up the romantic moments in the story as an apology. **

**And yes, I made this story a tiny bit more HikaruxKyoko-centric. Don't kill me! The pairing is in the summary! Besides, Kaoru said he **_**thinks**_** he doesn't like her like that, meaning he is confused. Therefore, there will still be more twinxKyoko moments until it's official! When will that be? I have absolutely no idea whatsoever!**

**On another note, I can't **_**wait**_** until I reach the Karuizawa arc and the Halloween arc! My inner fangirl and authoress is screeching at the thought. **

**Review please!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey everyone! I'm glad I finally got to update. Once again my internet timed out so I'm in my mom's office with her laptop because mine is...non-portable at the moment. **

**I do not own OHSHC**

**Journalistic Integrity**

The following Monday, the Host Club organised a cosplay event with _Alice in Wonderland_ as the theme. Haruhi was Alice (or she would have been had I not pointed out that she was supposed to be acting like a guy), the twins were two Cheshire cats (which was really cute and really accurate, as I had told them), Honey was the White Rabbit, Mori was the Dormouse, Kyouya was the caterpillar, and Tamaki was the Mad Hatter.

I was the March Hare, which was awesome because I got to wear a cool-looking top hat and bunny ears. Anyway, we got a pretty good turnout of girls who either loved the Host Club, were lovers of the book, or loved both.

My so-called 'date' with the twins had only been two days ago, and yet it only surprised me just a little bit when I realised that Renge had ordered several people to follow us around and take pictures of us to use in her fangirl Ouran magazines. I had been accosted by several members of the three arms of my fanclub the second I had stepped into school on the following Tuesday.

The school newspaper had even done another front page feature on me, which had pissed me off because those people clearly did not understand that you need _sources_ and reliable information before you write and print stuff to show to the general populace. Pasting someone's picture and writing something without gathering the complete truth is way out of line and wrong. Not only is it wrong, it's rude and a really stupid and lazy thing to do.

I was just glad that no one really bought the school paper. According to the twins, the club members for the school paper did this all the time. They fabricated stories about people at the school, so people had stopped reading it.

Anyway, it had been two weeks already, and I could already feel the warm coming of summer in the air. Summer was the best, not to mention that it was my birthday season. The mere thought of sunshine and green was enough to put me in a good mood.

As school had just ended, Haruhi and I were on our way to the Host club, which for some reason had moved to the garden like they had for the Cherry Blossom Banquet several chapters, I mean, months ago. _So much has changed since then. _"I wonder what ridiculous theme they came up with this time," I wondered aloud.

Haruhi shrugged and ran a hand through her choppy hair. "Only God knows," she said. "I hope it isn't anything too silly."

"Knowing Tamaki, it probably will be," I laughed. "But the _Alice in Wonderland_ thing was fun though."

"You're only saying that because you love that book," Haruhi smiled at me. I shrugged unashamedly and nodded. "Tamaki's a nice guy, in spite of his childishness," she commented with a curious look on her face. "I just wish he wouldn't hug me so much."

I smirked. "Maybe it's because he _wuvs_ you!" I cooed.

She laughed at my attempt at baby talk. "Shut up!"

"Aw, is my _widdle_ cousin _bwushing_?" I continued my baby-talk relentlessly and pinched her cheeks. "Aw, yes she _is_! Yes she _is_!"

"Kyoko," she was trying to sound firm but it's difficult to do that when someone is pulling on both of your cheeks and squishing them together. She realized this and started laughing. "Argh, you're so silly! And I am _not_ blushing!"

I tutted and patted her cheeks gently. "Lying is bad," I told her just as we reached the gardens. She punched me in the shoulder and I winced at the sudden jab. "Ow." I may be tough, but Haruhi's kind of tough too. She may look (and sometimes be) a little helpless, but she has more strength than you'd expect from someone of her size.

Haruhi and I gazed at the newly redecorated garden, courtesy of the Host Club, in awe. "Wow…" she blinked.

There was a stream running under a bridge, which had not been there before and I had to wonder when the hell it was built and how many people were called in to build it. There were blue and purple hydrangeas planted everywhere, which created a calm scenery and atmosphere.

"HARUHI!" _There goes the calm scenery and atmosphere. _I turned and calmly pulled Haruhi out of the way before my cousin could be glomped to death. I love Tamaki and all, but his hugs make me think that this is what it might feel like to be hit by an overly excited bear.

"Kyoko!" Haruhi yanked me out of the way when the twins attacked me. Unfortunately, there were two of them and only one me, so it was only a few seconds before they succeeded in squeezing the life out of my body. "You guys are late!" They chorused, finally releasing me. "We have your costumes laid out!" And with that, they shoved Haruhi and me into a changing area (a small tent in the corner of the garden that was hidden behind some hydrangea bushes).

About thirty minutes later, I was dressed in the attire of a woman from the Heian period. My dress/kimono was pale blue, and my hair was tied into hanging loops at the side of my head with white ribbons. I had to admit that I looked cute. Maybe a little _too_ cute, considering the annoyed looks I was getting from some of the customers. The only customers who didn't seem to mind me were the twin's, but they were a case on their own.

I passed by Tamaki's _Forbidden Date Play_ area with the tray of snacks I was serving. As I walked past the flowering bushes I heard a squeal like a girl in ecstasy. I paused, stared at the bushes, and then kept walking. There are certain things in the world that I did not care to know, and what was going on behind those bushes was one of them. I didn't think anything _bad_ was going on, I just didn't care to know. For all intents and purposes, Tamaki was not really a pervert.

I paused to arrange the plate of biscuits on my tray, and then I noticed some girls signalling to me. I walked over and smiled my best Hostess smile (Tamaki had told me that even if I couldn't stand whoever I was talking to, it was the mark of a true host to be able to at least appear amiable). "Yes, may I help you?" I asked politely.

The girls giggled and nudged one another. The one in front, the one who had called me, tossed her long, dark hair and smirked at me. There was an air of hidden condescension in the slight upturn of her lips. "So you're Haruhi's cousin, right?" She asked. I nodded once but I didn't say anything. "I just want know what your connection to the twins is."

I blinked once. "Um, we're friends?" It came out like a question because even I wasn't quite sure what we were. We seemed to have a sort of flirtationship going on, especially with Hikaru and me. We were more than just friends, yet less than a couple. Kaoru's overall aura, while bordering on flirty and romantic, seemed more playful to me, like he didn't mean for it to be taken seriously. I got the feeling he only acted that way because Hikaru did, and they did do everything together.

I blushed when I remembered the conversation we'd had while Hikaru was asleep. _Hikaru likes you. He's a bit hopeless about showing his true feelings._

I was jerked out of my thoughts and musings when the girl got in my face. I blinked when she started speaking. "Listen, maybe you don't know this, but you're just a filthy commoner," she smirked. "There's no way the twins would be interested in you. They're probably just being nice to you for publicity and for Haruhi-kin's sake."

Publicity, huh? Well that would make sense. You know, if they had tried to intimidate me with that bit of deduction a lot earlier – say during the cherry blossom festival, or around that time – maybe I would have been a bit sceptical of the twins. Unfortunately, it had been a really long time since then, and I wasn't one to bow under mean-girl pressure.

Which was why I blinked again, and then tilted my head to the side with one eyebrow raised. "…is that all you wanted to say?" I asked. She looked stunned. I smiled at the girls. "Look, I don't know why you seem so annoyed about...whatever it is you're annoyed about, but being rich really doesn't give you the right to act like a spoiled brat. You have money? Hooray for you. In the future, please refrain from calling me over unless you want tea or snacks."

She looked stunned, and then her expression became infuriated. Before she could retaliate, I was already walking away. You learn early in life that bullying exists everywhere, no matter where you go and no matter what you do. I had been bullied a lot when I was younger, and for a lot of reasons (having an uncle that was an okama, getting good grades, getting bad grades etc.)

I guess, after a while, I got used to it. I realised that if I took every single thing people did to me to heart, then I would never be happy. I sighed, and then I spotted something rushing at mach speed towards my cousin. "HARUHI, DUCK!"

It turned out that she didn't need to. "HARUHI, TAKE COVER!" Tamaki yelled, and then he barrelled into my cousin, knocking her down. The object, which turned out to be a ball, bounced away harmlessly. "Hikaru, Haruhi's flame of life was almost extinguished because of you!"

I walked over to look at my cousin. She was still on the ground looking a lot worse for wear. I winced and reached down to help her up. "Sorry Haruhi…"

She groaned and grabbed my arm. "Wasn't it peaceful just now?"

"It's your fault for not getting the ball, my lord," Hikaru held up his hands in a _what-could-I-do_ gesture.

Kaoru had the same gesture. "If you can't even play kemari properly then you're disgracing your title of Ouran's Hikaru Genji."

"What!?" Tamaki yelled angrily. "Say that again!"

"Dis-grace, dis-grace, dis-grace~!" The twins chanted mockingly. I sighed at how childish they were acting, although it really didn't surprise me.

Tamaki grabbed the ball from where it had bounced and fallen. "Then take this!" He pulled back his leg. "STARLIGHT KICK!" His foot slammed into the ball, sending it flying at mach speed again.

"What?" The twins gasped. "It's fast!" And as the ball went flying off into the sky, they waved handkerchiefs. "Take care!"

I stared at the disappearing ball. "We'll never see that ball again," I decided, and then we heard the distant sound of glass breaking. "Or not."

Ten minutes later, we were standing in the clubroom of the newspaper club while Tamaki apologised for shattering their window. I glared at the president while Honey, Haruhi and I picked up the shards of glass. "We are extremely sorry about this," Tamaki bowed contritely.

The upperclassman smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about it," he said. "It was only our window breaking and a mari hitting me on the head." _Oh shut up, _I rolled my eyes. There were two other club members, the smaller one of which was holding an ice pack to his president's head.

"As I said, we are very sorry," Tamaki bowed again. He was so gullible. It was equal parts endearing and annoying.

"Still," the newspaper club president (whose name was Komatsuzawa Akira, according to a sign that appeared under him briefly) steepled his fingers. "How serendipitous. We were just about to ask the Host Club if they would consent to doing an interview for us."

"We have a newspaper club?" Haruhi wondered.

"Yeah," I glanced at her. "Didn't you wonder about all those newspapers I kept tearing to pieces and throwing away."

"I thought they were trash."

"They kind of are," Hikaru said. He and Kaoru held up two papers they had been examining. "See? This is what they do."

"Also known as Ou-Spo," Kaoru explained. "They talk about things like romance gossip on campus, or power struggles between two families that is causing division within classes."

"It's basically just a gossip rag that covers all these overblown rumours," Hikaru shrugged.

"But since it's all pretty much made up," the twins said at the same time, eying the club members distastefully. "No one reads it anymore."

Akira looked annoyed by their words, but he quickly schooled his features. "It's true that we just wanted to draw attention to ourselves and quickly lost sight of the truth," he said quietly in a regretful voice. "But now that we are being pushed towards extinction we are disillusioned no longer."

_I bet you aren't._ I got to my feet and folded my arms across my chest. The twins immediately rested their arms on my shoulders like I was a table or something.

"We have finally discovered what we should report to the masses. Please," all three of them bowed. "We beg of you! For the last issue of the semester, let us so a special feature on Ouran Academy's Host Club!"

_I still dislike you guys a lot, but I'm thawing very slowly, _my eyes narrowed. _And if my heart is thawing, then that means that Tamaki's heart is pretty much jelly right now._

Lo and behold, I was right. "You can count on us!" Our king said. "We will accept this-!"

And then Kyouya shoved him out of the way. "We respectfully decline," he smiled politely, and kept Tamaki out of the way while the blonde protested. "Unfortunately, we only publicize our information to our customers. We can talk about payment for the injury we caused you another day."

"Right," Kaoru folded his arms across his chest. "For us to help people that have been writing fake rumours all this time, I don't think there's much merit in the idea." _I'm with you on that. You reap what you sow, don't you?_

"And hell," Hikaru folded his arms behind his head. "We don't really like people who cause problems for others." Haruhi and I stared at the two of them with deadpan expressions. _You guys really don't have the right to talk._

"I see," the newspaper club president fell back into his seat. "Our sins of the past cannot be so easily erased after all. We cannot be given a chance to atone for them..." he suddenly gripped his head melodramatically. "Ah, my head hurts!"

"Chairman!"

"It's alright," he sat up wobblingly. "Thank you, Ukyo-kun, Sakyo-kun. Ah, it hurts!"

"Chairman!"

_They're pouring it on a bit thick,_ I stared at the three of them silently with an expressionless face. Unfortunately, I could tell just who their performance was going to affect. "It seems we must just let this club be dissolved after all," the president sobbed.

"You don't have to!"

I sighed and wondered why Tamaki was so optimistic and forever looking for the best in people. It was a good trait to have, but sometimes a sharp dose of harsh, cold reality helps too. I wondered if it was because he was rich. Money is sometimes a very effective way of keeping yourself in a bubble.

"People can always start anew," Tamaki said. "I shall gather all the Host Club's resources and assist the revival of the newspaper club in all possible wa-!"

"We're not doing this," the twins grabbed me and started dragging me out of the room, while Haruhi followed. "There'll be no end to this if we have to keep taking part in your compassion for others," Hikaru said.

"Plus it's bothersome," Kaoru added.

"Were heading back, Tamaki," Kyouya said, as he, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai also started walking out of the room. "We'll be holding a reflection meeting in the clubroom. Mostly about you."

"Hold it!" Tamaki snapped, and we paused. "Do you guys have any feelings at all? Seeing these people when they're club is about to be dissolved, you don't feel sorry for them?!" He was actually shedding tears when he spun around to stare at us. "This is a family being broken up here!"

Behind him, the newspaper club and also started sobbing into handkerchiefs. If they were trying to appeal to us through their overly dramatic acting, then they failed.

Tamaki pointed at us. "These are the chairman's orders," he said. "And I will not allow you to refuse!"

"We refuse." _Boom. There you have it._ This was sort of like mutiny. I wondered why Tamaki had been made club president even though no one really listened to him.

He sulked all the way back to the clubroom, and then curled into the corner with the ball and refused to change clothes. The rest of the club watched him silently while he pouted and poked at the mari. I went into the club kitchen and fetched some cake slices for Honey and myself.

"He is clearly angry," Hikaru said. I nodded through a mouthful of strawberry cheesecake.

"He didn't even change clothes," Kaoru noted.

"This is the common _I'm-very-near-you-guys-bit-I'm-not-going-to-look-at-you_ childish method of sulking," Kyouya said. None of them sounded very concerned about it.

"Tama-chan is a very lonely guy, right?" Honey chirped over his cake. Mori made a sound that I assumed was a form of affirmation. I swallowed my mouthful and ate another bite.

"Club activities are all about making families," Tamaki muttered through his pout at a volume that made it clear that we were supposed to hear him, and he wasn't just grumbling to himself. "That's why a family is broken up whenever clubs are destroyed."

I finished my cake. "He's acting so silly," I sighed. "In a way, those guys kind of deserve it. If they hadn't gone around making up lies and exaggerating things, then people would have read the newspaper and none of this would be happening."

"I suppose," Haruhi sighed next to me, and then she looked up at Kyouya. "But, anyway, is it really that much trouble to help out the newspaper club?"

The twins looked over at her in surprise. "Oh, you're actually taking the lord's side this time?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"Not really," she said, staring at Tamaki out of narrowed eyes. "But sooner or later he's going to start looking at us with puppy eyes and in the end we'll have no choice but to fold."

"He has puppy eyes?" I asked. "I guess that makes sense."

"You're accumulating experience points alright," the twins said together.

I frowned and looked at the twins. "Hey, isn't this something you two would usually get involved in?"

They lifted their hands in a shrug. "Not really," they chorused. "Still, it's bothersome this time."

Haruhi looked over at Mori and Honey. "What about you guys, Honey-senpai?" The two of them had made themselves pretty comfortable and were sitting at a table. Mori was reading a book and sipping tea, while Honey was on his fourth or fifth slice of cake.

"Well, I have to eat cakes, you know," he said cutely through a mouthful of cake.

"Yeah."

_I accept that as an excuse,_ I looked down at my empty plate, and went to get another slice. This time I took a slice of the Black Forest gateau. _I wonder how Tamaki-senpai is going to respond. You know, apart from sulking in the corner._ I looked over at Tamaki, just as he looked over at us and flashed the saddest puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen on a person in our direction.

Haruhi and I froze. _Those eyes... _

I'm ashamed to say that I was the first to crack. And then Haruhi. And then the twins. And finally, Kyouya. And when Kyouya cracked, everyone else followed suit. Such is the power of the Shadow King. "Fine," he pushed his glasses up. "But only on our conditions."

**I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO GET TO THIS CHAPTER SINCE I STARTED THIS STORY! *Throws ribbons and glitter everywhere* Anyway, please read and review while I get to work typing the next chapter!**


	27. Chapter 27

**I'm online so I decided to update my stories. I try to update all my stories at the same time to save time, and because I love every single one of you. (~^3^)~ **

**I own nothing, except Kyoko *hugs my OC tightly***

**Lies of the Press**

"The Daruma Doll...fell! The Da-ru-ma doll...fell! The Daruma Doll...fell!"

What are we doing, you ask? Well, the newspaper club had been _elated_ with our decision to agree to their interview, and so the interview had been scheduled for the next day. I don't know what they were expecting, but I'm pretty sure they weren't expecting a bunch of high school students playing outdoor games.

I don't know who told Tamaki-senpai about this game, but he was really into it. Every time he said the word 'fell', we had to stop moving. The twins and Honey-senpai were pulling a variety of crazy moves, and I had to marvel at their balance. Mori-senpai, Haruhi and I were moving forward calmly and a bit apathetically.

"The Daruma doll fell! Thedarumadollfell! The...Darumadollfell!" Tamaki spun around. "Hikaru, Kaoru, you guys moved a bit!"

"No, we didn't move at all!" They disagreed. I glanced over to the newspaper club and I could tell that they were feeling...pretty stumped. "Kyoko moved a bit, right?"

"I didn't!" I yelled. "All of you need to get your eyes checked!"

Tamaki pouted, and then he cheered up and beamed at the Newspaper club (because he is bipolar that way). "It's no wonder that you are surprised," he told them. "This is an old game that commoners play! There are many more games that commoners play! They require no money, and all you need is yourself!"

I groaned. "Alright, who told him about this game?"

"I think he spent yesterday researching it," Kyouya answered. "He kept emailing me pictures." I facepalmed.

"A sense of friendliness!" Tamaki's sudden declaration drew my attention back to him. "In order to clear away the negative view of the Newspaper Club, and grab the hearts of the readers again, a sense of companionship is required! Imagine it," he made a sweeping motion like he was to the pages of an open newspaper. "_The Handsome Males of the Host Club Enjoying Commoner Games!_ This, coupled with the refreshing scenery of the early summer, would be perfect for adorning the entire front page!"

I gritted my teeth. "If he makes one more commoner crack," I hissed to Haruhi. "I'm going to hit him."

"In addition," Tamaki added. "Certain commoners are extremely happy as they can enjoy childhood moments again!" And then he began glancing at the two of us rather obviously, and then he waved.

"Great, I think he's looking at us," Haruhi muttered to me. "Do we have to act extremely happy now?"

"I'm just going to hit him now," I started walking forward but my beloved cousin held me back.

"Anyway, let's get back to the game!" Tamaki ran back to the tree. "Ah, Kyouya, you moved a little right? Come here and tie your pinky with mine!"

Kyouya sighed and started walking over to Tamaki. "As Kyoko said, I think you need to have your eyes checked."

Haruhi exhaled a tired breath and I patted her on the shoulder to show that we were both on the same page about this. "Can we stop this already?" She half wondered, and half whined.

"Fujioka-kun, I presume?" Haruhi straightened from her slumped posture and we both turned to stare at the Newspaper Club president. "And your cousin, Daichi-chan." I noticed that he was holding a small notepad and a pen and I frowned. Unfortunately, Haruhi doesn't always share my suspicions. Sometimes, she can be just as gullible as Tamaki-senpai. "Can we ask you something?"

"Sure," Haruhi replied. I folded my arms across my chest, waiting to see what sort of question he wanted to ask.

He immediately slid closer to my cousin. "Why did you join this club?"

"Um, a bit of carelessness," Haruhi replied. _Well that seems suitably vague._

"What about you, Daichi-chan?" He turned to me.

I shrugged. "Because of my cousin," I answered just as vaguely. I saw him frown, clearly irked by our answers, but he quickly replaced it with a smile.

"You're both special scholarship students here, am I right?" He asked. We nodded silently. "So the fact that you're both in this club just means that you're part of the Suou family's display of power?"

We blinked. "What?" I asked. Tamaki-senpai's father owned the school, but it's not like Tamaki knew who Haruhi was before. It's not like he staged for her to trip and break that vase. Kyouya? Yes. Tamaki? No. He doesn't have the brains, or the will, to consciously do anything underhanded.

Akira leaned closer to us and tried to whisper conspiratorially. "Could you tell us about his true self behind the scenes?" He whispered. "I'm sure this could save you as well."

"Save us from what?" I snapped.

"Tamaki-senpai doesn't have a 'true self behind the scenes'," Haruhi answered normally. I sighed internally at my cousin's obliviousness.

Akira looked annoyed. "Then, what?" He hissed. "Are you telling me that high school students like them are actually enjoying this?" The three of us turned to watch Tamaki calling out the phrase to Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai, with his pinky finger tied to Kyouya's.

Haruhi turned back to him. "Is that strange?" _Well, a bit, but not really._ I liked playing childish games like this in my old school. It's not like I got into high school and BAM! No more fun times.

"Tamaki-senpai is pretty strange," I shrugged.

"CUT!" The twins suddenly sliced between us and the Newspaper Club president, and dragged us away while Tamaki yelled at them. Since that game was ruined, Tamaki produced an empty soda can and said we should play _kankeri_ next. As I had been in an English middle school, Haruhi had to explain it to me.

Kankeri is sort of a mash up of Kick the Can and Hide and Seek. Someone kicks a can, and then everyone goes to hide. Whoever is the Seeker has to find the can, count for a bit, and then go looking for everyone else.

Our seeker, by unanimous decision, was Kyouya. And, by unanimous, I mean Tamaki ordered him to and he didn't bother fighting it. "Alright," Tamaki grinned and pulled back his leg. _This seems familiar. _"STARLIGHT KICK!" _Oh yeah, there we go._ The can went tearing through the air, and then the twins grabbed me by both arms.

"Let's go, Kyoko!" The dragged me away in the direction of the school. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the can knocking Akira in the back of the head, and then I noticed my cousin disappearing into the rose maze with Tamaki.

"Quick question," I asked, once we were inside the school and heading up the stairs. "Why are we running here?"

We made it to the door of the Newspaper Clubroom, and the twins pushed the door open. "It's obvious that Akira-senpai has a grudge towards the lord," Hikaru replied, sitting on the desk.

"We simply want to let him know that he can't hurt one of us without angering the rest of us," Kaoru arranged himself beside his brother, but there was still space between them.

"Well?" Hikaru arched an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to sit down?" I flushed slightly, and then settled myself between the two of them. I leaned back slightly, and felt something brush against my fingers. "What's that?" Hikaru asked when I picked it up.

I shrugged and stared at the smooth case curiously. "I think it's a first aid kit. Didn't Kyouya-senpai give one to these guys when he went to tell them about today?" I turned it over and noticed a small rectangle cut into the bottom.

"I see you've discovered the recording machine," Kyouya stepped into the room, followed by Honey and Mori. "You three got here early."

"Blame these guys for pulling me around," I shrugged, and then I pressed the rectangle shape. It popped up to reveal a tiny CD player and recorder. "This is really cool!" I ooh-ed and ah-ed over it appreciatively, before Kyouya took it from me and pressed the _play_ button.

At first, it was all that had happened while Kyouya was in the room, but then it was clear that Kyouya had left, and that was when things got juicy. "_Chairman, were you trying to win Ootori Kyouya's favour?_"

"_Of course,_" that was Akira. "_Suou Tamaki is my only enemy. Originally I planned on using the power of the campus newspaper to become the most popular guy at this academy. Yet the Host Club that Suou established gathered all the fame instantly._"

"_I heard that before Suou came to this school the newspaper that you published wasn't popular anyway._" I choked on my giggles while the twins snickered. We quickly sobered up when Kyouya glared at us pointedly.

"_QUIET!_" Well someone clearly did not like being criticized, and his underlings were clearly to terrified to do so. "_If I ask mom, I can nullfy all the deals we have with your families in an instant!_"

I scowled at the player. _That's how he's holding them? And he dares think that Tamaki's doing the same thing! _I really wanted to punch him in the face.

"_I will find out the truth,_" Akira said. "_The special status they have of not belonging to the sports clubs, or the cultural clubs, and not even having an advisor. Their club activities consist of creating fake romances and swindling everyone. It is just another display of Suou's power. He must be using his parent's influence to make the members obey him._"

At that, I couldn't even hold back my snort of laughter. Was he not paying attention when Tamaki came to apologize? We flat out refused! He only got us to do this because his puppy eyes are pretty lethal.

"_All those people, starting with Ootori Kyouya, were originally supposed to be my underlings!_" This time I laughed outright and had to bury my face in Hikaru's arm to muffle the sounds of my incredulous mirth. _How can one person be so deluded and wrong?!_ "_Suou Tamaki, he must be a very shrewd person. Even though he acts like a kind character, there must be something evil behind him! I will create a scandal and let him know who's boss!_"

With that, the recording ended. I waited for a second, just to make sure, and then I pulled my face away from Hikaru's blazer and spoke. "So he's nuts," I noted. "Basically he's a power-hungry, wannabe-tyrant who thinks Tamaki-senpai is one as well simply because Tamaki-senpai was able to become really popular and well-liked really easily?"

"Seems like it," Kaoru nodded.

"Wah, he was so mean to Tama-chan!" Honey pouted.

"Of course, Tamaki does not know this," Kyouya pushed the hidden compartment back and set the first aid kit back on the table. "I just felt we could...re-educate Akira-senpai a little."

I stared at him silently. "That sounds so evil," I stated, but then I picked up the sound of footsteps coming closer, and a familiar voice. Akira had apparently tired of playing _kankeri_ and had probably decided to write that scandalous article, with or without sources. We quickly arranged ourselves in strategic places in the room.

The voice was right outside the door. "Anyway, I must expose that Suou." A second later, the doors were flung open. Akira's expression went from angry, to surprised in .2 seconds at the sight of the three of us sitting on his desk.

I smiled and tilted my head to the side. "Hmm?" I pushed a loose strand of hair off my shoulder. "It seems like we were right to be suspicious."

"So it was something like this after all," Kaoru said. I almost laughed at the shocked look on Akira's face, or I would have if I still wasn't really pissed off at the guy.

"It's you three…" he hissed at us through clenched teeth. His grip on the doors tightened considerably.

I shrugged as Hikaru spoke. "Well, it was kind of obvious."

"I'm pretty sure the lord is the only one not aware of it yet," Kaoru said.

"But that's no surprise," I smiled, thinking of Tamaki's dense ways. "The guy's pretty slow on the uptake when it has to do with anything concerning him."

The twins grinned at me, and then turned back to Akira with matching Cheshire cat smiles on their faces. "Let me say this," Hikaru started. "We won't go easy on you if you touch our lord."

"Are you prepared," Kaoru continued the threat. "To make the Hitachiins, and every other club members' family, your enemies?"

Akira looked like he wanted to bolt, or punch someone in the face, but since he could do neither he just sort of twitched a bit spastically. "So Suou is using his family's influence to give out orders like that?" He ground out.

"Bzzt!" I made a sound like a buzzer. "And that, sir, is where you are so very wrong."

"Kyo-chan is right." Akira spun around to face Honey and Mori who had been standing beside the door silently. "Tama-chan wouldn't do that," Honey said in his cute, innocent voice. Then he smiled gently. "You know, we all love Tama-chan."

"That we do," I nodded with a smile of my own.

Kyouya spoke from the shadows. "Even though he's a hopeless idiot…"

They were all smiling, probably thinking about Tamaki. The guy had made a huge impact on all their lives, simply by being his typical insightful-yet-dense self. Akira stared from host to host, and then he turned to me, looking desperate. "What about you, Daichi-chan?" He asked. "Weren't you and your cousin forced into the Host Club?"

I cocked my head to the side, and smiled slightly. "No. I joined the Host club because of my cousin, but I like it there. Tamaki didn't force me. Not like he could anyway, but he wouldn't do something like that. He's sweet and honest, and actually one of the best people I know."

The twins smiled and nodded in agreement, and the their face sobered as the two of them faced Akira. "And?" Hikaru asked.

"What are you going to do now?" Kaoru asked.

"Stop doing these things already," Honey said. _The guy's still twitching, so I doubt this is the end of it._

I was right. Akira, hunched over and swore. "Damn it! It's not just Suou anymore! I'm going to destroy all of you!"

I grinned to myself as Kyouya came out of the shadows and picked up the first aid kit he had given Akira yesterday. "Be my guest," he smirked, and turned the box upside down. "But…" he pressed a button and a secret compartment popped out, and out of that he pulled a small disk. "What should we do about this disk that's been listening and recording your comments since yesterday?"

_I feel like a mafia boss, or something akin to that. _I beamed at said Shadow King, and turned back when I heard a light thump. Akira was on the floor, a defeated look on his face. His cronies were telling him that they couldn't do this anymore. I hoped they were able to have a normal high school life after this. Hopefully they wouldn't be working as henchmen for anyone else after this.

Kyouya walked towards Akira. "If I were to threaten you in your manner, it would be something like this," he said calmly. "With the shares the Ootori group and Hitachiin family hold in your company, we can easily change the president in your father's company."

I shot Kyouya a panicked look. _Whoa, wait, that's going a bit too far! It's not like his father had anything to do with this!_ I opened my mouth to voice this, but two hands clamped over my lips.

"But," Kyouya continued, stopping in front of him. "We are not like you. What we strive for is fundamentally different."

A few minutes later, we left the Newspaper club to deliberate to itself. "Well," Kyouya remarked. "That went well."

"We should probably look for the lord and Haruhi now," Kaoru said.

"They've been alone in that maze for a while now," Hikaru commented. I frowned. I know I said Tamaki was one of the best people I knew, and I wasn't lying, I was just always worried whenever he and Haruhi spent time alone together. Why? Because he was a flamboyant and melodramatic weirdo and my cousin was a mildly insensitive person.

I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. "I'm just glad that this is over," I huffed. "Maybe now they'll stop printing stupid stories and start doing things properly."

"They have to," Kaoru said. "It's either that or they get dissolved."

Thanks to Kyouya, we managed to find Tamaki and Haruhi in record time. There was a small pavilion in the centre of the made. Red roses climbed up the marble pillars I had seen several coloured roses on our way here.

"Found you!" Kyouya smirked, and they both sat up like they had been asleep, or bored.

"What happened to the newspaper club?" Tamaki asked curiously.

"They're cancelling the interview due to urgent business," the twins chorused. _Well that's sort of true, I guess._ I could have sworn we passed by a blue rose and an orange rose. An orange rose was fine, but blue roses didn't exist outside literary text and paintings. When I turned around, however, I couldn't see it anymore.

"They said they'd be writing honest articles from now on..." Hikaru told Tamaki.

Kaoru turned slightly to glance at the blonde. "...so their club won't be dissolved after all."

"I see," Tamaki nodded. "I guess that's fine."

I walked past a pink rose and a dark purple rose. "Let's hurry back to the clubroom and eat cake!" Honey chirped happily from Mori's shoulders, and the large upperclassman made another sound that also seemed to be one of affirmation.

Tamaki smiled up at him and nodded. "Yeah. Cake, cake!" I smiled back at everyone, and then walked a bit faster to catch up with the twins. As soon as I reached them, they both grabbed my hands and we kept walking towards the school, towards the Third Music Room.

* * *

oOo

* * *

After we'd reached the clubroom, we'd all lazed around for a while and eaten cake. Well, Honey, Tamaki and I had. Haruhi seemed to be in a sort of shock, and the twins were conversing alone in a corner, so I took that time to breathe away from their twin-love antics. Okay, yes I had been a bit worried, but I figured that by tomorrow they would be fine and back to bothering me again.

Currently, Haruhi and I were on our way home, and she was babbling beside me. "How could I not have known that Tamaki-senpai was the son of the superintendent?" Haruhi was ranting. "I mean, I should have known that, right?"

"It isn't really that important," I smiled. "You should just be really _grateful_ to Tamaki-senpai. I mean, if not for him we wouldn't be in Ouran. We wouldn't have met all the people we had." I resolved at that moment to be nicer to Tamaki, but not too much or he would start glomping me again. I already had two people for that, thank you very much.

We made it home and pushed open the door. "Uncle Ryouji, we're home!" I called out. He stuck his head out of the kitchen, waved and pointed to the phone in his hand. His long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing a cherry pink and white _Kiss the Cook_ apron. "He's on the phone," I told Haruhi.

"Oh, I wonder who it is." We dragged our stuff into our shared room and I got out my homework while Haruhi changed.

Uncle Ryouji burst into the room just as she had donned one of the pink dresses he regularly buys for her. He looked troubled. "Girls, it looks like I'm going to busy during the beginning of summer. I'm travelling in a few days, so I've made arrangements for you to stay at a friend's place for a few days."

I cocked my head to the side. "Is this friend an okama?"

My uncle tugged one of my pigtails affectionately. "Yes. In fact we used to work together. His name is Chizuru-chi, and he owns a pension in Karuizawa." I got excited at the mention of that. Karuizawa was supposed to be really beautiful and a great place to go to relax and be at peace. "I'm dropping you there before I leave."

"Okay dad," Haruhi said, at the same time that I said. "Alright Uncle Ryouji!"

He smiled and turned to walk out of the room. "You girls might want to start packing some stuff now, okay?" He left, presumably to go back to whatever he was cooking. All through my homework, I couldn't stop thinking of Karuizawa. I mean, relaxation and peace: two things I haven't had in a while.

And I would continue to have them for a few days, so long as we didn't tell the host club.

**Review if you can!**


	28. Chapter 28

**I am not too pleased with how the ending of this whole chapter turned out, but I like how the overall thing came out! On another note I CAN'T BELIEVE I MADE 200+ REVIEWS! I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SO MUCH *virtual hugs and kisses***

**I own nothing whatsoever, except Kyoko! **

**The Host Club in Karuizawa**

"Thank you for your patronage!" Haruhi smiled at the couple that had just left. I looked down and started cleaning up their table and resetting it for other guests to use.

The first week of the summer holidays, and three days we had been in Karuizawa had been the most-stress free days of my life so far. Karuizawa was beautiful. It was located in the country, and in the highlands so the air was always clean and cool and smelled faintly like orchids and honeysuckle. The scenery was idyllic and calm.

Haruhi and I didn't have to share a room while we were here, but we still opted to so that Chizuru-chi could save space for more pensioners. He, or she…I'm not sure anymore, was a fluttery sort of okama. I mean, Uncle Ryouji was all sophisticated and collected (or at least that was the image he projected while in okama form) while Chizuru-chi was all flowers and sparkles and frilly, flouncy dresses. She/he even made aprons for Haruhi and me to wear while working. Haruhi's was a cream-coloured affair that stopped at her knees, and had frills along the hems and a giant bow at the back.

Mine was short, only to the middle of my thighs, and then it flared out. It had no frills, but it did tie at the back in a bow and it also had small, cute bows on both straps. It was white, and not cream like my cousins.

In my opinion, Haruhi wasn't taking advantage of the cuteness of the apron. Yes, I won't lie, we both looked adorable in our aprons. So, to utilise this, I was wearing a short, flared black skirt with short tights underneath, and a white boat-necked top and black sandals. Haruhi was just dressed in a pink shirt, blue jean cut-offs and yellow sandals. She did manage to look cute in that casual, effortless way she has, but still. She could do so much better.

"Kyoko, Haruhi," I looked up at Chizuru-chi. "Could you two hang up the washing please?"

"Okay!" I whisked all the plates into the dishwasher and set it to go, and then I ran outside to give Haruhi a hand with the load of damp sheets. "You know," I commented as I searched for a clothespin in my apron pocket. "These past few days have been fun."

"Yeah," she agreed. "The air here is so clean, and I can actually study in peace."

"Speaking of peace," I grabbed a sheet and proceeded to drape it across the line. "Do you think we should have told Tamaki-senpai and the rest of the Host club about this?"

Haruhi frowned and pinned up a sheet. "Well, knowing Tamaki, he'd freak out and make a big scene over it," she said. "Besides, are you saying that you miss them?"

"No," I shook my head. _Well, maybe, sort of._ We finished hanging up all the sheets before I spoke again. "Besides, it's not like they'll follow us out here. They have lives too, their probably busy doing…whatever things rich people do during the summer holidays."

Suddenly, the noise of an approaching helicopter filled the air. "HARUHI!" Tamaki was screaming through a megaphone. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT? DADDY'S HERE, DON'T WORRY!" I watched all the bed sheets fly away, and then let my head flop forward. I didn't have to look at my cousin to know that she felt the same way.

_There goes our peace and quiet._

Less than an hour later, the helicopter had landed, Haruhi had received a week and three days worth of glomps from Tamaki, I had received a week and three days worth of sexual harassment from the twins, the host club had met Chizuru-chi, said okama had fangirled over them, and now we were all currently outside drinking tea and eating fancy sandwiches.

"A part-time job, eh?" Hikaru asked us. I was sitting between the two of the, with Haruhi next to Kaoru. Mori was standing beside the table, while Honey had then remaining chair. Kyouya was sitting at another table, and I had no idea where Tamaki was. "So that's why you refused a trip to Bali with us."

"We asked you to come to Switzerland with us too," Honey pouted.

"Yeah," Mori agreed. _See, I wouldn't have minded that because I love those two and none of them make me blush and feel remotely awkward._

"Well, I don't have a passport," Haruhi shrugged. "And it wasn't like my dad could just let Kyoko go away without me."

"Which was why I put forward the idea of using one of my family's resorts for a cheap price," Kyouya said.

Tamaki suddenly popped out of the bushes. _Oh, look, there he is. Why was he in the bushes anyway?_ "Why were you all inviting my daughters out in private so casually?" He was twitching and he had anger marks all over his head. "So it's alright if you guys get to have all the fun? So you all don't have a sense of solidarity?"

I stopped listening at that point. I turned to the twins, since they were closest to me. "So, how did you guys know we were here?" I asked then curiously. "No, wait, let me guess…Kyouya-senpai?"

Said senpai looked up from his book and half smirked, half smiled in my direction. "I will take that as a compliment, Kyoko."

"Tamaki woke us up this morning whining about how he hadn't been able to talk to you and Haruhi since the beginning of the holiday," the twins said at the same time. "We'd been trying to call you too, but you weren't answering."

"Yeah," I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry about that."

"It couldn't be helped," Haruhi shrugged. "We turned off our phones."

"You shouldn't do that," Kaoru scolded us lightly.

"But it's difficult to work when a certain _someone_ keeps calling me every five seconds asking where my cousin is" Haruhi flushed slightly, and glared at me. I smiled back at her cheerfully. The twins snickered. "I don't know why he couldn't just call her in the first place. She does have a phone," I glared at Tamaki, who had caught on to the conversation.

He blinked. "Haruhi…you have a phone?"

"We're lending an old one of ours to her," Hikaru said. "Kyoko already had a phone, so we just put our numbers on it."

"Might I add that this arrangement is a Buddies Only thing?" Kaoru smirked.

I grinned. Messing with Tamaki was kind of fun. I could see why the twins did it so often. "Tamaki, you're a senpai so…" I shrugged at the look on his face.

I don't know what sort of thing was going through his mind, but he started smiling a bit dopily, and then he turned to Haruhi. "Then, can I be in your daddy-buddy category?"

"That doesn't exist," she snapped bluntly, and then my cousin sighed. "Anyway, can you all please go home? Kyoko and I going to have to see you guys everyday when we get back to school. Everyone has the right to choose how they want to spend their holidays, right?"

Thus, the Shadow King struck again. Seriously, had he been reading the Academy rule book all this time? Who even reads that thing anyway? "Academy rules, item nine: a student is forbidden to take on part-time jobs."

Before I could start asking why that was so, the twins began to mock us. "Did you know?" Hikaru pretended to ask Kaoru. "These people are doing part-time work without the school's permission!"

"My, what courageous people!" Kaoru pretended to reply with mock surprise.

"I'm going to hit the two of you," I deadpanned.

Mori and Honey were flipping through a brochure of Karuizawa that had been left on the table. "Coming to Karuizawa to escape the heat is a pretty good idea," Honey chirped.

"We're tired of foreign countries too," Kyouya said as he pushed up his glasses. I scowled and developed a dark aura to match my cousin's.

"Indeed," Tamaki nodded with his hands to his chin. "Everyone has the right to spend their holidays as they please, right?" He turned Haruhi's words back on her. "Therefore, you have no right to stop us. We shall be staying at the pension as VIP guests then!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I patted my cousin on the back as she appeared to break down mentally from the sudden shock of the realization that she wouldn't be free of the Host Club even during the holidays. It was kind of like being part of the mafia, only less dangerous and maybe slightly more insane.

**Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre in Karuizawa.**

_Yep, definitely more insane. _I looked over at Tamaki, and sweatdropped. I poked Haruhi in the shoulder and pointed at our senpai silently. She blinked, and her expression turned blank. "Um…senpai?"

"Tamaki-senpai," I blinked and tilted my head to the side. "You're on fire."

"Our lord has a very vivid imagination," the twins said at the same time. As soon as we had managed to put out the fire, the Host Club had immediately headed back into the pension to ask for rooms.

"I'm sorry," Chizuru apologised disappointedly. I could tell he really wanted this group of really handsome guys to stay at the pension, if for no other reason than that they would be aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. "I'd love to let you all stay, but I don't have enough space for all of you! There's only one guest room left."

"Just…one room?" Tamaki repeated. "Then, don't worry my fellow subjects! I will stay on as a representative of the host club!"

"Tama-chan, that's cheap!" Honey said tearfully.

"Who was the one complaining about not having solidarity a few minutes ago?" The twins asked sarcastically, and then they both smirked like the same idea had just occurred to both of them.

"Hey, my lord," Hikaru grinned. "I just thought of a really fun game! Would you like to take part in it?"

"It's called _Competition For the Guest Room Refreshing Part-Time Job in Karuizawa_!" Kaoru said.

"That is a really long name," I commented and I folded my arms across my chest. "What sort of game is it?"

"The rules are simple," Hikaru leaned on my left shoulder. "We'll work for one day in this pension that's desperate for manpower…"

"…and whoever makes the most favourable impression on Misuzu-san gets to stay on here as the guest," Kaoru concluded, leaning on my right shoulder.

"YES!" Chizuru suddenly swirled up in a flurry of purple flower petals. What was it with these people and flower petals? First the Host Club, then Lobelia, and now Chizuru-san. Where are all these petals coming from anyway? "Good, very good! Let's go with that! If the most refreshing person gets to stay on here, then my pension will become even more popular!"

**Managerial Mode.**

"Does no one care about our feelings?" Haruhi wondered.

I rolled my eyes and exhaled softly. "I stopped wondering about that a long time ago, Haruhi."

"We look forward to working here!" The twins cheered, raising their arms.

Chizuru-san pointed at them firmly. "Work hard then! I won't be treating you as guests until I make my decision!" Haruhi was standing with her head bowed and a dark depressed aura coming off her. "To make it fair, Haruhi and Kyoko will not be able to help you!"

I twirled out from underneath the twins. "You heard the lady," I waved a finger in their faces, and then I grinned. "Since this has already been decided, do your best then, okay?"

The twins smirked down at me. "Does this mean you want us to stay, kitten?" Hikaru asked and leaned closer to me. I scoffed, but I couldn't hide my blush entirely, so I just turned around and went to stand beside my cousin.

I patted Haruhi on the back. "Ah well, it can't be helped," I told her. "Look on the bright side! Now Chizuru-san can get free labour and more customers!"

oOo

The Host Club (with the exception of Kyouya-senpai) had all sprung to work. Tamaki had opted to fix the broken fence outside, but I don't think the guy had ever held a hammer in his life. He made the fence even worse, which lost him and Honey three refresher points (I have no idea what those were, but Chizuru-san was acting like it was a big deal so).

We also learned that being _refreshing_ and being _cute_ are really two different things.

The twins seemed to be doing well. What with their cheerful attitudes and handsome faces, they had charmed pretty much every girl that walked into the pension. _Why are there so many women in this pension anyway?_ I wondered as another group of females walked in through the door.

_Ah well,_ I put my hand down on a table and yelped when it tipped wildly. I would have fallen, had Mori-senpai not caught me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks," I exhaled softly and steadied myself. "I guess this is the table that got broken last week."

"I haven't had time to fix it," Chizuru-san frowned, and then she suddenly beamed. "Takashi-kun, could you please fix the table in the backyard?"

Mori hefted the table onto his shoulder. "Understood."

"Mmm, nothing unnecessary about his actions!" Haruhi and I stared at Chizuru-san while she gushed over our exiting senpai. "Refreshing rating, plus five points!"

"Um, what is this refreshing rating you keep talking about?" Haruhi asked curiously.

Chizuru-san smirked and turned away slightly. "Haruhi-chan, Kyoko-chan, what do you think guests want from Karuizawa?"

We glanced at each other. "The coolness, or something?" Haruhi tried.

"The calmness?" I suggested.

"Not just that," the okama smiled. "The refreshing breeze that they cannot feel in the cities, the refreshing scenery, and last but not least, _the sight of refreshing men!_" More flower petals. "Everyone comes to Karuizawa to experience this refreshing feeling! This is a competition for how much they can appeal to the girls that come searching for this refreshing feeling in Karuizawa!"

I blinked up at Chizuru-san. "How did he get on the roof?"

"I have no idea," Haruhi replied, staring up at the spinning okama. "But you can tell he's really enjoying this. Plus, he really reminds me of someone." Renge's face came to mind, and I groaned quietly. _Why can't we meet ordinary people?_

Seeing that Chizuru-san was too deep in her managerial/fangirl mode right now, we both decided to walk around for a bit since we had a bit of free time now that there were more people to do work. We passed by the veranda and spotted Kyouya-senpai sitting down and sipping tea calmly. "Oh, hey Kyouya-senpai," I stopped walking.

Haruhi tilted her head to the side enquiringly. "You're not taking part in the competition?"

He nodded and put his teacup down. "Even if I win, there's no point staying alone in this pension. I'll just watch the show for a bit, then I'll go to my summer house."

"Summer house?" Haruhi repeated. "Your family owns a summer house?"

"That's right," Kyouya said. "Everyone has one in this area."

I scowled. "Then why don't you guys just go there already?" I huffed. "What's the big deal?"

Kyouya just smirked at me, like he knew something I didn't. "About this competition," he said. "Who do you guys think will win? How about a bet?"

"I am not comfortable betting with you," I replied a bit nervously. Kyouya scared me. Betting with him, in my opinion, was a bit like signing over your soul.

"No thanks," Haruhi deadpanned. "I have no clue."

"Really?" His glasses glinted. "It's quite obvious if you think about it," he began to explain. "First, Honey-senpai. Visually he's more cute than refreshing, so he's out. Tamaki is refreshing if he does absolutely nothing, but he's getting too worked up so he seems exhausted. Just looking at it," Kyouya leaned forward and rested his chin in his hand. "The winners should be Hikaru and Kaoru..."

I arched an eyebrow. "Should be?" I echoed.

"There is a long-shot entry," Kyouya gazed at something behind us, and we both turned around to watch Mori-senpai chopping blocks of wood for some reason. I had to admit, if I didn't see him as a brother, I would probably be drooling. "But he's only in this for Honey-senpai. If Honey-senpai drosp out, then so will he."

"I guess that's true," I hummed.

"So in the end..."

"...we're the winners."

The twins leaned against the railing of the veranda. "Ah, I just noticed," Haruhi piped up. "The guest room available is a single, not a double, so it's not possible for both of you to stay there."

"Don't worry," Hikaru turned to look at us. "We'll bring a bed from our summer house."

"If that's not possible," Kaoru added. "We'll just find a way to sleep together."

I smiled slightly. "That's kind of cute," I crossed my legs over each other. "You guys are always together, aren't you?"

They both smiled and shrugged. "Well, yeah," Kaoru said.

"We were born together," Hikaru said. "And we didn't have too many friends. Until a few years ago, we thought everyone else in the world was an idiot."

I jumped down from the railing. "I'm glad that view has changed," I ran a hand through my hair, and then I noticed Hikaru staring at me. "What is it?"

"If it's you, we'll let you join Kyoko," he wasn't smirking, or grinning. "Let's sleep together from now on, like we did when you came to visit us."

My face flamed bright red. "You guys were sick! That doesn't count!"

"Huh?" Haruhi eyed me curiously. "Kyoko, you slept with the twins?"

"IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT!"

Luckily, Kyouya-senpai changed the topic before I spontaneously combusted with mortification. "The competition isn't over yet," he said. "I have many ways to make this game more interesting." _You know, I think Kyouya-senpai could probably win this competition if he tried._

Kaoru pushed himself up. "Oh, so you're siding with the lord, Kyouya-senpai?"

"Even so, we're not going to lose," Hikaru smirked challengingly. Kyouya just smiled and didn't say a word.

oOo

Since Kyouya-senpai's declaration, the twins had upped their game. So many girls were freaking out over them, and it was making something curl in my gut. I had never really been a jealous person, so the feeling took a while to make itself known. _Calm down, Kyoko,_ I thought to myself firmly as I walked around the pension later that evening with the basket of dirty laundry.

I spotted Kaoru standing alone on the veranda. "Hey Kaoru," I smiled, walking over to him. "Where's Hikaru?"

He smiled back. "He went to get some garbage bags for the leaves," he explained.

I hummed quietly and leaned against the railing beside him. "You know," I mused. "I don't think Tamaki didn't even know there was a piano before Kyouya-senpai pointed it out."

"It was a brilliant move," Kaoru nodded. We sat in silence just listening to the music from the piano and waiting for Hikaru to come back. I didn't notice the window above us open, but I did hear the sound of something falling. "_Kyoko, look out!_" I barely had time to move before he shoved me out of the way. I heard the sound of something shattering.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

"It was close, but we're fine!" Kaoru called back up. I felt a bit dazed, but I soon snapped out of it. "Are you alright, Kyoko?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smiled at him. "Thank you." I noticed a thin cut on his face. "You're hurt!"

"_Kaoru!_" That was Hikaru. "_Kyoko!_" He stopped and crouched beside us. "Kaoru, you got a scratch on your face!"

"Oh? Yeah, I got cut a bit," Kaoru smiled to put him at ease. "At least Kyoko's fine." Hikaru turned to me, and then he suddenly pulled the three of us into a hug. "Hikaru?"

"...don't scare me like that, you guys," he murmured quietly. I smiled slightly and placed a hand on his head.

"We're sorry," I told him. He pulled back, and then we bonked our heads together affectionately.

"BRAVO! BRAVO!" I nearly screeched when Chizuru-san twirled up in a flurry of yellow ribbons and purple flower petals. "Refreshing brotherly love and friendship is so wonderful!" She was on the roof, and I wondered how she managed to get up. "You guys get a perfect 100 points! The winners are THE HITACHIIN BROTHERS!"

I was sure I heard the sound of discordant piano keys that had to be Tamaki-senpai's heart breaking. Haruhi came running, and she hugged me quickly. "Are you alright Kyoko?"

Apart from some shock, I was fine. I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm good. Kaoru saved me," I turned back to face the twins. "Well, congratulations you guys."

Their faces suddenly changed, and the grins on their faces made me suspicious. "Why thank you."

I blinked. "Wait, don't tell me..._that was all planned?!_"

They shrugged, still grinning. "Who knows?"

"It better _not_ have been planned," I scowled, suddenly getting angry. "Kaoru got hurt, and I could have been seriously wounded!" I grabbed both their hands and started dragging them away with an infuriated look on my face. "Come on, since you've won I'll take you to the room. I also need the first aid kit, and some new sheets..."

I hauled both of them to the empty guest room. They both eyed the small, single bed. "It's smaller than I expected," Hikaru commented.

The first aid kit was in a cupboard in the hall. I grabbed it and huffed. "Well, duh. I told you it was a single. It was bound to be small," I made Kaoru sit down, and then I pulled out disinfectant, cotton balls and a packet of plain sticking plasters. "This might sting a bit," I warned him, and then I dabbed the soaked cotton ball to the wound. Kaoru winced slightly, but he didn't make a fuss.

Once I had cleaned up the scratch, I peeled off one of the plasters and stuck it over the wound. "Thank you, Kyoko," Kaoru touched the plaster. I kissed my fingers and pressed it to his cheek for good luck.

Hikaru pouted. "What, I don't get one?"

I rolled my eyes. "What, you want a finger kiss?" I kissed my fingers, twisted around pasted them to his cheek. "There you go. Have fun with that."

They both grinned. "Those weren't even proper kisses," Hikaru teased. "_This_ is a kiss." And then I felt lips on both my cheeks. _Wait, were they both kissing me!?_ This hadn't happened since the whole Renge problem! "Although..." I felt lips at my left ear. "...a kiss on the mouth is so much better..."

"OKAY!" I got to my feet hurriedly. "Wouldja look at that? Time to make dinner!" I nearly sprinted out of the room, my heart beating uncontrollably fast.


	29. Chapter 29

**To ExtendedExperience, who gave me the idea for the first part of this chapter (you know who you are), I dedicate this to you. I own nothing except Kyoko! *twirls away in a flurry of petals and rainbows***

**Jealousy Is A Strong Emotion**

I twitched when I felt an arm drape over my waist. Legs hooked into mine underneath the cover of the duvet, and two warm bodies snuggled closer, pressing against me from either side. The situation was both comfortingly familiar, but terrifyingly strange.

_How the ever-loving frick did I end up in this position? _I wondered to myself as I stared at Kaoru's sleeping face in front of me. _Oh yeah. This is Haruhi's fault._

**Flashback**

_I stared at my cousin silently. "You're kidding," I deadpanned. I love my cousin, I really do. Sometimes I think of her as the sister I always wanted. She is the one, sole female cousin I have that I know about. _

_But sometimes, she made me want to punch a wall with my bare fists. Like now. "I'm not kidding," she shrugged. "It would make more sense, wouldn't it? If we gave up our room to the twins, it would be much better. The bed in that room is far too small for two people."_

_That part, I understood. She had a perfectly good point, but that wasn't why I was annoyed with her. "All of that is fine," I waved my hand dismissively. "What I'm upset about is your suggestion that I actually take the twins up on their offer and __**sleep in the same bed as them**__."_

_Haruhi looked like she wanted to smile. Luckily for her, she managed to mask it quickly. Even if she was dense, she wasn't stupid. I knew she was setting me up. I wasn't sure why, but it was obvious that she was. "Well, they did offer. The bed is big enough for three people." Yeah, if they cuddle together. "And it's not like they'll be annoyed at the intrusion."_

_I glared at her blankly. "I feel like my feelings weren't even taken into account when you thought of this," I muttered. This time, she did laugh. _

**End of Flashback**

Well, she was right about something: the twins weren't annoyed at the intrusion. In fact, they seemed pretty darned happy about it. I wasn't sure if they were pleased in a perverted sense or not.

The most awkward thing about this whole situation was that the twins liked to sleep naked. Yep, you heard me: naked, as in _sans_ clothes. "_It's how we always sleep at home_," Hikaru grinned at me from the bed. Fortunately, the covers were drawn up over his legs and his…lower part. "_You should sleep naked as we-_"

"No." It was only after I threatened to go back and sleep with Haruhi again that they both donned some clothes. After that, I had been yanked into bed like a giant, but highly favoured teddy bear. Then they had arranged me so I was lying between them and facing Kaoru, with Hikaru acting as the big spoon behind me. And then they had fallen asleep almost immediately. I guess acting refreshing tuckered them out.

The two of them were rather avid cuddlers, which was great for me because I liked cuddling a lot, even though Haruhi complained that I was more like a leech that seemed attracted to body heat. Kaoru's legs tangled in mine and moved higher in his sleep, and I was glad that I had decided to wear pyjama trousers to bed and not the frilly white nightgown Uncle Ryouji had packed for me.

_Just go to sleep already,_ I told myself firmly. _You have to wake up earlier than them tomorrow to work. _I sighed and closed my eyes. Before long, I was out like a light.

**Twins POV**

Hikaru couldn't remember when he'd last slept so well. He was warm, and comfortable. Whatever he was holding in his arms felt soft, and smelled faintly of apples and mint. He couldn't help drawing closer to it, and he forced his eyes open just a crack.

Kyoko. The scent was coming from her hair, which had been done into a single, thick braid to avoid unnecessary tangles. Her breaths came in deep, even intervals, and her lips were slightly parted. He couldn't help smiling at how cute she looked.

Carefully, so as not to wake her up, he leaned over and nudged his twin on her other side. He didn't feel too bad about waking Kaoru up, as he knew that he wasn't as asleep as he looked. One of the perks of being a twin, he supposed. "_Mmph_," Kaoru hummed/grunted quietly and opened his eyes to glare half-heartedly at his brother. "What?" He muttered, and then he found himself face to face with Kyoko. "Oh…"

For a few seconds, the twins just gazed down at her. "She's so cute…" Hikaru said quietly. Kaoru nodded and glanced at his twin out of the corner of his eye, before finding his gaze drawn back to the female between them.

It was still very early, and they both knew that she would have to wake up in a few minutes since she was an employee at the pension. Almost simultaneously, the twins shut their eyes and snuggled closer to her, both trying to savour the experience.

oOo

When I woke up, I was on my back with Hikaru's head on my chest and Kaoru's head buried in my neck. _Well,_ my sleep-addled brain considered my position. _This is awkward, isn't it?_ After some wriggling and squirming, I managed to slide off the bed without waking them. Well, I sort of woke Kaoru, but he just opened one eye and muttered something that sounded like "_do you have to go now?_" but he sounded halfway out-of-it.

When I opened the door, I nearly rushed into Haruhi. She blinked at me. "I came to wake you up," she explained. She was already bathed and dressed, and I hurried to get ready.

After an hour, the dining room began to fill up with more guests that had come down for breakfast. The twins descended rather late, although Hikaru looked a bit annoyed. I smiled slightly as they both sat down at the table I had just finished setting. "Good morning you guys. Did you sleep well?"

Hikaru pouted up at me. "You weren't there when we woke up," he complained.

I arched an eyebrow and placed a hand on my waist. "You do realise that I am an employee here, right? I had to wake up early."

"That's true," Kaoru smiled and nudged his twin's shoulder. "Cheer up Hikaru. At least we had her for the night!" I sweatdropped. _Please don't phrase it like that, it sounds wrong. Wait, how can I phrase something like that any better? I slept with them. I slept between them. I slept in the same bed as them. _

Nope, everything sounded bad no matter how many times I tried. I finally tired of thinking it over and asked them if they were hungry. "Can we get breakfast, please?" Hikaru turned to me. "I want some toast with Brest butter and Garnet-sealed syrup, okay?"

_I have no idea what any of those things are._ I heard butter, toast and syrup. Everything else flew right over my head. Judging by the look on Haruhi's face, she too had no idea what was going on. "I'll have egg with bacon," Kaoru said. "And Bisley brand cereal, the one with dry fruits in it, and..."

"Wait!" Haruhi cut him off quickly before he could order anything else. "We don't have any of that on our menu!" They both had the effrontery to look shocked, like that stuff was supposed to be common.

Suddenly, a wild Tamaki-senpai appeared and smacked them both across their heads with a rolled up booklet. "You guys! Don't ask for the unreasonable, you evil brothers! You think you guys have become some sort of rich nobility now?"

"Well, we are," Hikaru said.

"Heck, you're one too," Kaoru pointed out.

Tamaki shrugged. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That is the general rule, right?" And then he suddenly whipped out a covered dish from...somewhere. "While in Karuizawa, enjoy what Karuizawa has to offer!" He suddenly whipped off the cover of the dish. "Here are some Jerseys sterilized at low temperature and some juice produced in Shinshuu! We also have..."

I sweatdropped as he continued to rattle on about the food. The twins leaned back to whisper to Haruhi and I. "Why is he such..."

"...a Nagano maniac all of a sudden?" Kaoru finished the question.

"He came in _way_ too early this morning to see Haruhi," I replied. "But she was busy so I think he went to spend time with Chizuru-san."

Haruhi sighed in a longsuffering manner. "She ended up teaching him everything she knew about the pension for the whole morning."

Tamaki looked pleased with his newfound knowledge. "While the two of you were dozing, I even made a guidebook for our training camp. Consider it an act of consideration from your chairman."

"You really have a lot of time on your hands, don't you Tamaki-senpai?" Haruhi said as he passed out his newly made (when and where did he make these?) guidebooks. The first rule, as Tamaki-senpai was quick to point out to my cousin, was that she should not treat him as a senpai for as long as we were in Karuizawa.

The next few rules were all sufficiently alright, until I got to rule 5. "Oh?" Hikaru frowned. "For rule five, you wrote _Wake up at 6 a.m._" I promptly snapped the book shut and put it down. It was summer for a _reason_. I already had to wake up at 6:30 at the pension. I would not have my extra half hour of sleep ripped away from me dammit!

"Do you really think Honey-senpai and Kyouya-senpai are going to abide by this?" Kaoru asked.

Those words must have triggered some traumatic memories for Tamaki because he immediately crawled into a shadowy corner and started crying for his mother. "That bad, huh?" I wondered.

"Sorry, my lord," the twins apologised at the same time. "But he really should have thought of that before creating those rules."

As the three of us were trying to calm Tamaki-senpai down, the door of the pension opened. "Good day!" Someone called out. "Arai Grocery here!" I could hear Chizuru-san greeting whoever it was. Whoever it was sounded young...and a bit familiar.

"MY, HOW REFRESHING!" Chizuru-san suddenly squealed. "Haruhi-chan, Kyoko-chan, come and carry these to the refrigerator!"

"Coming!" My cousin and I left the twins with Tamaki and walked to the front room of the pension. "Eh?" Haruhi froze and stared at the boy. He had to be our age. The voice and hair seemed really familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on where I had last seen him. "Do I know you?"

He stared back at us with wide eyes. "Haruhi? Kyoko?" He blinked. "As in, Fujioka Haruhi and Kyoko?"

Oh, now I know why he seemed so familiar! I grinned. "Hey, Arai-kun! I can't believe you still don't remember my actual last name." He was the only person I knew who called me Fujioka, since Haruhi and I looked a lot alike (apart from my hair being darker and my eyes being dark blue instead of dark brown) and we were cousins.

Tamaki-senpai seemed to have recovered now that there was someone else in the room. He and the twins were staring at Arai-kun suspiciously. Well, Tamaki's head was swinging from Haruhi, to Arai, and then back again. The twin's eyes, on the other hand, stayed fixed on him like they were sizing him up and trying to decide how much of a threat he was.

Arai finally stopped staring at my cousin. " Are...these your friends?"

"Yeah," I gestured to the twins. "These are my classmates and good friends: Hikaru and Kaoru." The twins looked slightly mollified by my statement. "We're also in the same club. And this is...uh..." I stared at Tamaki for a second, and then turned to Haruhi. He had said he didn't want to called senpai. Without that, I wasn't sure what to call him.

Luckily, Haruhi had something. "This is...just someone I know." I covered my mouth to keep from laughing at Haruhi's indirectly mean statement. Tamaki looked like he had just been shot, or hit by a bolt of lightning. The sudden discordant sound of a piano also wasn't helping.

"Misuzu-san," he turned to the okama standing beside the piano. "Please don't do your own sound effects for my moments of despair."

Arai ended up staying longer, since my cousin wanted to catch up. I wasn't so interested, but Haruhi told me that it was important to keep in contact with friends from middle school. I had gone to a English elementary school and middle school for a while, and then my parents had taken me to Haruhi's middle school in Japan for the last two years (apparently they had business or something). They had then wanted me to come back to England for high school, but I liked Japan so much better.

I had also dislocated someone's arm in the first few months, so that might have had something to do with it.

Anyway, because of all that shifting, I didn't have time to make many friends in middle school. My cousin was really popular though, but I was too...cold? Quiet? Mostly, I was just shy. "I haven't seen you since our middle school graduation," Haruhi commented.

"You cut your hair," Arai noted. "That's such a waste."

"You think so?" Haruhi played with the tips of her hair curiously. "I actually think it's way more convenient this way."

"I'm actually considering cutting mine a bit shorter," I confessed. "Not as short as this, though," I tugged on a strand of Haruhi's hair. "Maybe just a few inches or so."

"I don't think you should," Arai commented. "It looks fine like this, Fujioka..."

"Daichi," we both corrected at the same time. "I'm from her mother's side, so we don't have the same surname."

He blushed, and then he smiled back at us. "Have you both gotten used to life at Ouran yet?" Arai asked us. "It must be good for you. Kyoko seems much more confident now. You used to be so shy back then."

I flushed and laughed nervously. "Yeah, well, that was then." I was forever hiding behind my cousin and refusing to do things on my own.

Haruhi snorted. "You should see how our old classmates react whenever they realize that this is her," she told Arai. "You used to be a doormat back then."

"Why are we bringing up all this ancient history?!" I flicked her cheek and leaned back in my seat. "Let it go already! Let's talk about something else that isn't so related to me." Haruhi rubbed her cheek where it stung.

"You say these people are in the same club as you are?" Arai turned to the members of the Host Club. "What club are all of you in?"

Haruhi's eyes widened slightly, and then she looked away. "Uh..." Hell no, I stared at her. There is no way I am telling a former classmate that I have now joined a club like this. Nope, no way. We have to lie. "The Host Club."

My cousin cannot lie. She can mumble though, so he didn't hear exactly what she said. "Oh, wow, the softball club? I never really saw you as being so athletic. Is it fun?"

_It might be, if we were actually in the softball club. The Host Club is pretty fun though. _"Hey, Kyoko!" Hikaru held up his drinking glass. "Haruhi, do you think you can both slack off like this and stop working?"

I sweatdropped. "Chizuru-san gave us a break!" I called back. Since it was not early afternoon, most of the pensioners had gone out to enjoy the day so the place was pretty much empty at the moment. I heard the sound of paper ripping, and we both turned to see Tamaki tearing paper into strips.

Haruhi stared at him with a deadpan expression. "Senpai, could you not increase the amount of trash in here?"

"It's not trash," he muttered. "It's a home for a hamster."

"Tamaki-senpai, you don't have a hamster."

"I'm not your senpai," he glanced at her. "I'm just someone that you know." Ah, is he still sulking about that? I suppose the twins would be too if I introduced them like that. My cousin is such a terribly blunt human being.

At least Arai found it amusing. "People from Ouran are so funny!" He laughed. "I heard it was a school for the elite, and I imagined it was like another world."

"You aren't too far off the mark," I murmured, and then I took a sip of my drink.

"It's a different dimension alright," Haruhi sighed.

"To be honest," he smiled at us. "I thought you'd both have problems going to that sort of school, so I've been worried all this time." _Aw, that's nice._ "But I'm glad that you both look so cheerful." Haruhi and I smiled at him. It was nice to meet him too, and it was nice to know that he'd been worried about us. He suddenly flushed and looked away. _Wait, does he still have a crush on my cousin?_ "Ah, but it wasn't just me," he rushed on. "Everyone was!"

I hid my giggle behind my hand. His nervousness was kind of adorable. "What is he trying to do?" Hikaru suddenly raised his voice. "Is he going for the _refreshing and pure_ path? The competition ended already." I glanced back at him curiously. _What's with you?_

Kyouya stared at Hikaru. "Well you guys seem quite critical."

"Heck, this guy obviously has a crush on one of them!" Hikaru snapped. "It's disgusting when it's so obvious."

"Hikaru, what the hell?" Haruhi got up, ready to walk over and thwack him upside the head. What he had said was quite rude and mean. "You're acting like a jerk right now!"

Arai stopped us. "Ah, it's okay, it's okay," he waved a hand at us. "It's true that I did like you both at some point, but that was a while ago." I felt, more than I saw, the twins and Tamaki freeze in horror. "But I've been dumped already anyway..."

My eyes were wide. "Wait, what?!" Haruhi and I gaped at him.

Kyouya looked at us. "Why do both of you look so surprised?"

I shut my mouth and shrugged. "Because this is all news to me. I knew when you liked Haruhi," I jerked a thumb a thumb at my cousin. "But when the hell did you like _me_?"

"Yeah, person called Arai-kun," Tamaki stared at our former classmate. "When did this happen?"

Arai shrugged and looked down at his empty cup. "It happened about a year ago."

**Flashback Time**

"_Fujioka!" Haruhi and Kyoko stopped walking and turned to stare at their classmate and friend, Arai. He drew to a stop in front of them, breathing heavily from running. "I heard about it," he panted. "Are you really going to take the entrance exam to Ouran?"_

_Haruhi nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "Kyoko wants to, but her parents want her to stay in England." Kyoko frowned. She liked Japan, and she liked being with her cousin. Being an only child got lonely sometimes. _

_Arai slowly got his breath back. "I see..." A disappointed fist squeezed his heart. "With your grades, it's certainly possible. I just thought you'd go to Higashi High." That was where most of their classmates were going._

"_Oh, I'm going to take the exam for Higashi as well," Haruhi smiled up at him. "I don't know if I'll get into Ouran." _

"_Still," Arai smiled down at her. "I guess I'll just have to cheer you on for now." Kyoko couldn't help feeling just a tad bit out of place, but it was fascinating watching Arai talking to her cousin. The poor guy had a crush on her so obvious it was kind of funny to watch. "I was hoping we could go to the same school though..."_

"_Eh?" Haruhi stared up at him. "Then you should have told me earlier!" Arai jerked and stared at her with so much hope that Kyoko could see it reflected in his eyes. _Does she finally realize his feelings? _"I don't think Ouran's scholarship is limited to one person."_

Or maybe not. _Kyoko sighed and rolled her eyes at her cousin's denseness. _

"_Besides, even if it isn't, you shouldn't give up on going to the school you want for the sake of others. Some people will get in, and others won't. We live with it, that's what entrance exams are all about, right? We just need to do our best."_

I can see him slowly deflating,_ Kyoko stared at the boy silently. The scholarship for Ouran wasn't limited to one person, however. She had studied the scholarship booklet online. There was only one full scholarship though, and then the others were all 50% and 20% scholarships._

"_Oh yeah!" Haruhi beamed at him, and turned to her quiet cousin. "Let's go check with the teacher!" She turned to leave, only for Arai to grab her arm. Kyoko realised that this conversation was going to get a bit more serious, so she made up her mind to leave and pump her cousin later._

"_So I'll just...yeah..." she started sliding away._

_But before she could get too far, Arai finally spat it out. "Fujioka I-I would like you to go out with me!"_

Finally! _Kyoko stopped tiptoeing away and stared at her cousin, waiting for her cousin's decision. She had to say yes. Why not? Arai was a very nice guy, who cared a lot about my cousin. "Yeah," Haruhi smiled. Before either of them could feel too elated, she followed it up with: "I just want to confirm the dates for the application deadline too!"_

...my cousin is an idiot, _Kyoko facepalmed, and then she had to spend her break period comforting the poor boy. "There, there Arai-kun," she cooed quietly. "Haruhi's just a bit dense."_

**End of Flashback**

The Host Club and I stared at Haruhi silently. I had almost forgotten that time. _Wow, Haruhi, you were pretty dense back then._ I patted her on the shoulder. Even Kyouya looked a bit stunned at that level of obliviousness.

"Haruhi..." he stared at her. "You destroyed this young man's purity with that sort of lame joke?"

"No," Haruhi shrank into her seat slightly. "I just never realised that was what he meant," she turned to Arai and bowed apologetically. "I'm really sorry!"

_Her reply is one year late,_ I sighed. "What, am I being dumped again?" He laughed jokingly. "Don't worry, don't worry! It's past me already, and the fact that she didn't realise it means that she wasn't interested in me anyway."

I stared at Arai, and grinned, and then I realised something. "Hey, wait, when did you have a crush on me?" I pointed to myself. I wasn't as thick as my cousin, but I wasn't the best at noticing romantic moods either.

Aria blushed slightly out of embarrassment. "After you comforted me," he confessed. "I know it's a bit silly to jump from one crush to another, but you were very nice to me even though you were so shy. You were really kind," he smiled slightly and lowered his eyes. "I really liked Haruhi's gentle but far-seeing eyes, and that when you talk to her, she looks right at you. Both of you have that in common. It's one of the reasons I liked you."

Haruhi and I glanced at each other, and then looked back at our old classmate. There was silence for a few seconds as the entire Host Club tried to figure out how to proceed. And then Tamaki reacted in a way that I expected, yet didn't. "You think so much about my children!" He grabbed Arai's hands and beamed down at him with far too much happiness. "Don't worry, your brave story will not be forgotten!"

"Uh huh..." Arai looked just a little bit freaked out. Tamaki wanted to know everything about Haruhi (and to a lesser extent, me) while she was in middle school. I looked over at the twins, the only members of the Host Club who hadn't joined us at the table. I could see that Hikaru was annoyed, but I wasn't sure why.

"Wow, your middle school field trip was to Kyoto?" Honey asked. "It's so uncommon to have it inside the country!"

"No, it's quite normal for commoners," Arai shook his head. He was taking the whole _referring-to-us-as-commoners _thing pretty well.

"Yeah, I like Kyoto too!" Tamaki nodded.

Kyouya sighed. "I was forced to accompany him on account of his interest in touring the temples." I giggled at the partly-annoyed look on his face. Kyouya and Tamaki were pretty close, in spite of their opposing personalities. Maybe that was why they were friends. Tamaki's random, cheerful ways complimented Kyouya's somewhat cold personality.

I looked over to the twins. I didn't like shouting so much, so I got up and wandered over to them. "Hey, you guys, don't you want to come over?" I asked them with a small smile, directed mostly at Hikaru since he seemed to be really annoyed. "You're the only ones staying so far away."

Kaoru looked like he was going to say something, but Hikaru beat him to it. "Why would we go over there? It's freaking obnoxious the way the lord suddenly wants to be friends with him. Go back if you want to, I don't care."

I recoiled with a mixture of surprise and hurt, which gave way to confused irritation. "Fine, whatever," I stormed back to the table and took my seat with a quiet huff. Honey glanced at me, and then stared at the twins.

Tamaki stood up to call the twins over. "You guys come over here!" He waved them over excitedly. "It's very rare for us to hear stories about Haruhi's middle school life!"

Hikaru scoffed. "I'm not interested in hearing them!" he called back. "Heck, isn't this just stupid? I have no clue why talking about past events is any fun. Does that guy not realise that neither of them see him in that way?" Before I knew what I was doing, I had gotten to my feet and I was storming towards Hikaru. Either he didn't notice me, or he didn't care. "There's no space inside of Kyoko for you to enter-!"

_Slap!_

My arm was still raised just a little. My palm stung, and there was a faint pink mark on Hikaru's cheek. I felt horrible for hitting him, but the things he was saying were horrible and hurtful and Arai didn't deserve to bear the brunt of his childish anger. "Shut up!" I glared down at him. "You don't have the right to say and decide things like that! Stop insulting my friends, Hikaru! What's wrong with you?"

I hate fighting with friends, and people that I care about. It gives me a bad taste in my mouth. No one said anything, and then Hikaru lowered his face so I couldn't see the stunned look in his eyes. "What..." I had to strain to hear his voice. "Who cares about anyone else?" He spoke a bit louder.

I blinked, the angry look slipping off my face. _What? _"What do you mean by that?" I stared down at him. He suddenly got to his feet and glared down at me. There were tears at the corner of his eyes. Something twisted painfully in my chest.

"Aren't _we_ your friends?!" He yelled at me. I couldn't speak, even though I suddenly wanted to yank him into a hug and reassure him that he was still dear to me. The past was the past, wasn't it? But then he suddenly barged past me and ran up the stairs.

I whirled around. "Hikaru!"

"Hikaru, wait up!" Kaoru ran after his twin. I stared after them, feeling horrible. I took a step forward. I wanted to run after them and apologise, but Haruhi put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. I stared at her silently and let her pull me into a hug.

Tamaki sighed. "Their world is still so narrow," he commented.

A few minutes later, Arai stood outside and ready to leave. "We're sorry about what happened, Arai-kun," Haruhi apologised on behalf of all of us.

He smiled good-naturedly. "It's alright," he said. "It seems like I did something that rubbed him the wrong way." He was such a nice person. I smiled at him. Behind us the bell at the top of the door rang and we all turned around.

Honey blinked. "Oh, Hika-chan!" I stared silently. That was not Hikaru. That was Kaoru, minus the scar and wearing the clothes Hikaru had been wearing. Haruhi and I glanced at each other, but opted not to say anything.

Kaoru walked over to Arai. I had to admit that he was quite good actor. He managed to look nervous and reluctantly apologetic all at once. "My bad," he muttered. "I'm sorry."

Aria beamed at him. See? He was such a nice person. "Don't worry about it!" He replied. "Bye then, Fujioka, Daichi." I grinned at the fact that he remembered my last name. "See you guys around," he called to the Host Club. We stood waving as he rode off on his bicycle.

Finally, when he was out of sight, I lowered my arm and turned to the twin beside me. "So," I drew out the vowel. "Care to explain why you're dressed like Hikaru?"

The entire Host Club turned to stare at Kaoru in surprise, except Haruhi. She reached out and pinched his wounded cheek. "Hey, what happened to your scar?"

He winced. "I took care of it with stick concealer," he replied. I pulled my cousin's hand away. Just because the wound couldn't be seen, that didn't mean it wasn't still there, and it probably still hurt a bit. "Hikaru's temper doesn't seem like it's getting better," Kaoru sighed, and then he turned and grinned at me. "That's why I need to ask you a favour, Kyoko!"

I stared up at him. "Uh, okay?"

His grin widened. "Could you go out on a date with me all day tomorrow?"


	30. Chapter 30

**Behold, the date chapter! Starring Hikaru as Hikaru, Kyoko as...Kyoko, and the rest of the Host Club as a bunch of stalkers doing random things in order to get the two of them to have fun.**

**I own nothing except Kyoko!**

**Feeling Lost**

I agreed. Why wouldn't I? Tamaki threw a tantrum though, but that was just him. I was just glad Kaoru hadn't asked Haruhi, or our lord would have thrown an even larger fit. Instead, this one was just a relatively middle-class one.

The only problem that I had was that I didn't have any date clothes. We had come to Karuizawa to work, with a few days off of course, so I'd mostly brought shorts, jeans and normal, everyday shirts. Kaoru told me that he would work everything out, and he did.

The next morning, I woke up to find myself face to face with the twin's evil twin maids. _Crap, why are they here?!_ "Good-morning, Daichi-sama!" They said together. I blinked up at them and tried to gauge the fastest way to escape this situation. "Come, everything is prepared!"

"What the-!? What are you guys doing? ARGH, SOMEONE, HELP ME!"

No one did come to help me, by the way. I don't know where Haruhi was, but she was evidently too far away to hear my cries. In the end, they both shoved me into a strapless, pale blue, empire-waist summer dress. The fabric of the dress came down to my ankles, and the maids had given me a pair of white, heeled gladiator sandals to wear with it.

They had also done my hair, jewellery and makeup. One of them had twisted my hair into a cute, slightly curly side ponytail, while the other had given me a pair of silver earrings and the K necklace that the twins had gotten for me the last time I went out with them. Both of them had tried to come at me with lipstick, but that was when I put my foot down. In the end, they smeared some gloss over my lips and that was it.

_All of this, why?_ I wondered to myself as I waited for Kaoru to show up. I wondered what was taking him so long. _Why did he ask me out? What does this have to do with anything that happened yesterday?_

"Sorry for making you wait," a familiar voice called to me. I turned around and spotted Hikaru standing behind me and looking a bit awkward.

"Oh, hey Hikaru," I smiled at him. "Where's Kaoru?"

"He isn't feeling too well, so he told me to take you out instead," he replied curtly. I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed by his manner. Was he still angry with me for slapping him yesterday? Even though he had deserved it, I still wanted to apologise.

I tried not to let my feelings show on my face. "Oh," I looked away. "In that case, what do you want to do? You don't have to walk around with me if you don't want to, you know."

He looked slightly surprised. "No, it's not that I don't want to..." he suddenly seemed to become nervous and his eyes dropped. "That aside, you're dressed differently than usual..."

I blushed and looked down at myself. "Oh, yeah. Kaoru sicced your maids on me this morning," I explained. "It's a pretty nice dress though, isn't it?" The pale blue colour looked good on me, and the loose, flowing material made me feel comfortable and slightly ethereal, like a Roman goddess or something.

"Yeah," he muttered, and then he turned his head away. "Anyway, we should get going." I nodded and we started walking. For a few minutes, neither of us said anything. I was a bit worried. Hikaru always seemed to have plenty to say whenever he and Kaoru were together and talking to me. Now that it was just us, he seemed too nervous to even talk to me.

_Maybe he's still angry at me for hitting him? _I decided to say something to break the silence. "Um, Hikaru? I'm sorry for hitting you yesterday." He stiffened slightly. "I'm really sorry about that. You know I still care about you a lot, right?"

He didn't reply for a few seconds, and then he nodded. "Yeah, I know." Even with those muttered words, I saw him relax just a tiny bit. I felt a little bit of happiness come back. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Hmm," I hummed thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. Kaoru said he's take me around so I just assumed we'd go wherever," I bought a magazine with a map of our area at the back from a street vendor and Hikaru and I found a place to sit down while we deliberated. The magazine also listed out a bunch of shops and things to get while in Karuizawa. "Do you have any place in mind?"

He frowned. "It's not like I have anything to do in Karuizawa now-!" He suddenly stopped himself, as though he was remembering something. Whatever it was, it made his frown deeper, and then he started a completely new sentence. "What about the outlet mall near the train station?" He suggested. "Clothes are cheap there."

_What was that about? _I stared at him silently. _Is he being considerate? He said he didn't mind being with me, but he seems so annoyed and distant._ "I didn't bring enough money to go clothes shopping," I told him. "Besides, I don't need any new clothes. Do you?"

He scoffed. "Like I would buy my clothes from somewhere so cheap." _Well that seems more like him. _I giggled at his statement and he shot me an odd look.

I covered my mouth to hide my smile and shook my head. "Well then, what about-!"

"Ice-cream, ice cream!" I heard a familiar voice calling out. "Who wants ice-cream?" And then a man looked like Honey with a moustache and a hat walked past. He was quickly followed by a cloud of dust, and then he was gone.

Hikaru and I blinked simultaneously. "Uh, didn't that old guy look just like Honey-senpai?" He voiced his thoughts aloud.

I nodded in agreement, and then my attention was snagged by something across the street. "Oh, that looks good!" I was off my seat and across the street in a second. "Ice cream please!" I called to the ice cream man inside the store.

"Oi, Kyoko!" Hikaru ran over to my side. "You shouldn't just leave like that!" He sounded put out. I held up my ice cream to him as an apology.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "Haruhi told me that the ice cream here is pretty famous. As an apology, I'll let you have the first taste!" This could be considered an indirect kiss, but that wasn't the worst thing we'd ever done.

Hikaru stared back at me, and then huffed with a tiny blush on his face. "If it sucks," he wrapped his hand around mine and lifted the ice cream cone closer to his mouth. "You're getting a punishment game..."

Before he could taste the ice cream, and gauge how good it was, he was suddenly shoved away with my ice cream cone. Another ice cream was held out to me by someone that was not the ice cream man, but looked very much like Tamaki in dark sunglasses and a moustache. "What a cute looking girl!" The voice also sounded a lot like Tamaki's. "Here, have another one for free!"

"Uh, thanks?" The second I took the ice cream, the window of the store suddenly slammed shut and I could hear the muffled sounds of people shouting inside. "Okay...so, what do you think?" I directed my question to Hikaru, who was staring at the truck with the same level of confusion as I had been.

He took a small bite. "It's good," he replied. "Better than I thought it would be." I took a bite of mine. Haruhi was right, it really was great.

"This is amazing!" I kept licking at my cone, until I felt a bit of the ice cream get on my nose. "It's so cold!" A memory popped up in my mind as I was wiping it off and I started giggling.

Hikaru gave me a strange look. "What's so funny?"

I forced myself to calm down slightly. "Oh, I was just thinking that this is the time when you would have licked it off my nose," I commented. I watched Hikaru's eyes widen, and then he looked away. The tips of his ears were tinged red. "You know, I don't mind spending time with you today," I took another lick of my ice cream. "Even without Kaoru, I do enjoy being with you. I know you're worried about him, so we can always go shopping and buy him small gifts."

Hikaru turned back to stare at me out of narrowed eyes. "How do you know I'm irritated about Kaoru?" He muttered.

_How could I not know? _"Because I know you," I chirped. A sudden coldness on my hand startled me. "Geez, our ice creams are going to melt if we don't hurry up!" I took a bigger bite of my ice cream and winced at the too-cold cold feeling in my mouth. "Come on, let's go! I saw a cosplay shop a while back. Maybe we could get some ideas for the Host Club!"

Maybe what I had said was just what Hikaru needed to hear, because he suddenly seemed to cheer up after that. We went into the cosplay shop, and he jammed a pair of cat ears on my head and wouldn't stop calling me kitten. In revenge, I made him wear a cowboy hat, which had both of us crying with laughter.

At some point we accidentally handcuffed ourselves together, but the shop owner soon freed us. In payment, we had to buy the handcuffs. Hikaru also bought the cat ears, which he told me not to take off since I looked cute like that.

We then found a street photographer with a Polaroid camera, and paid to get our pictures taken. In total, we got three pictures. One for me, one for Hikaru, and one for luck because why not?

_We look like a couple_, I stared at the image. In one, Hikaru had an arm around my shoulders and we were grinning at the camera like a pair of happy idiots. In another, Hikaru was standing behind me with his arms around my neck.

In the last one, the photographer had asked us if we wanted him to snap a photo of us kissing. Hikaru had grinned and come at me like he was about to kiss me, and I had dipped backwards in a way that was reminiscent of ballroom dancing while laughing.

It was a good photo. I felt like I would always treasure whichever one I decided I wanted (Hikaru had already claimed the last one as soon as it had finished developing). This day was going to be special in my memory for a long time.

I think we must have gone into almost every shop (minus the boring ones), and we found a lot of small gifts for Kaoru. If he was annoyed and feeling left out, these would remind him that we hadn't forgotten about him at all during our date.

_Date? _I flushed at the word. Was it correct? Was this a date? I mean, what was a date anyway? It had romantic connotations, that was for sure. Kaoru had told me that Hikaru liked me, but didn't know how to communicate the feeling. I liked Hikaru as well, a lot. I liked the twins a lot. I would do (nearly) anything for them.

_But I feel more romantically attracted to Hikaru, don't I?_ I didn't have time to consider the question as Hikaru called me over from the front of a store. "Kyoko, look at this!" He was staring at something in a storefront. "Do you think we should get picture frames for the photos we took?" I hopped over to his side and stared at the wood-carved frames in the store window.

"Yeah, we should," I nodded. "But not from here. These ones look too...stoic." That was the only word that came to me at the moment. "At any rate, it's getting late. And it looks like it might rain soon," I glanced up at the sky. It was slowly turning grey. _I hope Haruhi is alright at the pension._

Hikaru looked up as well. "You're right. Want to head back now?" I nodded. "Then we should catch a taxi to take us back."

Suddenly I heard the voice from a person that I knew would make this situation bad (albeit, not on purpose). "Huh? Fujioka!"

I winced at the way Hikaru froze in place, but I couldn't ignore Arai _now_. "It's Daichi," I replied with a smile. "I thought you'd be able to remember my name by now. What are you doing here?"

He grinned at me. "Well, this is my uncle's store." I looked up at the sign at the top of the store. _Arai Groceries. Well damn. _I would not have stopped here if I'd known we'd run into Arai. Or, maybe this was good. Hikaru had to learn to apologise to people and not let his emotions get the better of him. "What about you?"

"Hikaru and I were spending the day together," I took a step closer to Hikaru and nudged him. He still hadn't even turned around to face Arai. "We were just about to get a taxi and head back though, since we're done shopping."

"The, why don't we take you back with the car?" Arai suggested. "It'll be cheaper than getting a taxi. I'll go ask my uncle if we can."

See Hikaru and the rest of the Host Club might be used to spending money because they had it in abundance, but for people like Haruhi and I, money was something to be saved when we could. _Besides, maybe I could get Hikaru to talk in the car and he might actually apologise. _"Are you sure?"

Arai nodded cheerfully. "Yeah. It looks like it's going to rain soon, and it might take a while to find a taxi. It's no problem, really."

I smiled back at him. "Well, if you're sure..."

Hikaru avoided my gaze when I turned back to him. "Just let Kyoko take the car."

I stared up at him in shock. "Hikaru," I grabbed his hand, but he yanked it out of mine as though I'd burned him.

"Do whatever you want already!" He yelled at me. "Go reminisce about you past all you want and leave me alone!" He ran away again. _He doesn't mean that, _I stared after him, the hand that he'd thrown away to my chest. _He can't mean that!_

"Again?" Arai murmured. I had almost forgotten that he was still there. "Does he hate friends and past events that much? I'm sure he's got his own too."

My eyes widened, because _no_. The twins didn't used to have friends. They didn't know what it meant to let people in so easily. They might act cheerful and friendly to others, but I got the feeling that it was all some sort of act. Only a little of it was real. _They seem real to me,_ I squeezed my hand into a fist. "I'm sorry Arai-kun, but I have to go look for him," I ran after Hikaru.

Yet, after searching for more than an hour, I couldn't find him and the rain had started to come down. Gently, at first, and then more heavily. People were leaving the streets in favour of shops and cars and homes. Still, I ran around trying to find him.

Finally, it got too dark, and I was almost shaking with cold. "_Hikaru!_" I called out. "_Hikaru, where are you? Don't leave me!_" _Don't leave me. Please don't leave me._ I was lost now. I couldn't see the road or any sort of path. All I could see were trees and rain, and buildings that looked the same. _I'm lost. _

I was not afraid of thunderstorms like my cousin. Instead, I was scared of being lost. I didn't like not knowing where I was, and where the people I loved were. It made me feel small and useless and insignificant, like I didn't matter and no one was looking for me. _Don't leave me. _

Suddenly, I spotted a building close by. It was a church. It looked empty, since it was a Thursday. At the very least, it would give me the shelter I needed to wait out the rain.

I staggered towards it, and felt gratitude run through me when I realised that the doors were open. I quickly slipped inside and relished the warmth of the large room. It wasn't much, but it helped. I found a small niche underneath the altar and crawled underneath. _It's okay,_ I tried to comfort myself as I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to get back some semblance of warmth. _The rain will stop, and then you can find your way back to the pension._

_Back to Haruhi._

_Back to everyone._

_Maybe...maybe back to Hikaru?_ I closed my eyes and berated myself. Even if Hikaru wasn't being fair, I shouldn't have pushed to go with Arai so much. There were other ways, weren't there?

And now, he'd left me. _Hikaru... _ The church was silent, apart from the sound of the rain and the occasional clap of thunder and crack of lightning. I hummed a song quietly to keep my mind off everything. Singing had always been one of my favourite ways to block out bad memories and situations.

_Dancing slowly in an empty room_

_Can the lonely take the place of you?_

_I sing myself a quiet lullaby_

Okay, so maybe that wasn't the most cheerful of songs, but it was a nice song. I liked the way the church hall magnified my voice. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I almost didn't hear Hikaru calling me. "Kyoko? Kyoko, are you here?"

"Hikaru?" I shivered slightly and crawled out from underneath the altar. "Hikaru!" I would have gone to hug him, but my body seemed to have frozen stiff from the cold. I mustered up a grateful smile, even though I was still shaking slightly from the cold and chill. "Thank you for finding me."

There was a particularly loud flash of lightning. Hikaru didn't move for a second, and then he suddenly pulled the cloth off the top of the table and threw it over me. He got under the table with me and placed his headphones on my ears. The song was one that sounded familiar, but the warmth of his body next to me, and the sudden reassurance that being with him made me feel was lulling me to sleep.

I leaned against Hikaru and closed my eyes. "Hikaru," I murmured. "Thank you."

I'm not sure for how long I slept, but when I woke up it was 7 in the evening and the rain had stopped. I was feeling much warmer now. Hikaru shifted beside me. Had he fallen asleep too? "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," I nodded, and then I looked up at him. "Thank you," I repeated my words from before. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I shouldn't have pushed for us to go with Arai when I was spending time with you."

Hikaru shook his head. "I'm sorry for saying mean things to your friend," he said. "And I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I'm sorry for scaring you and upsetting you."

I felt my heart melt at his words. I got up on my knees and wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug. This position made me just a few inches taller than he was. "I forgive you," I told him. "Let's go back, alright? The others will be worried about us," I pulled away from him and got to my feet. "Hikaru?" He was still kneeling there, almost like he hadn't heard me. "Hey, Hikaru, is something wrong?"

He jerked and got to his feet as well. "No," he shook his head. "You're right, let's go back." He held out his hand to me, and I took it. Our fingers laced together and I couldn't deny the way the butterflies in my stomach danced at the contact as we made our way out of the church.

**Damn this arc flew by fast. At least I can look forward to the Halloween arc now! I wanted to make them kiss in this chapter, just so you all know, but then I **_**like**_** the whole non-established-couple-flirtationship the twins and Kyoko have going on!**

**I'm a terrible person. Should I do a kiss scene later? Review if you can!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hello my darlings! So I realise (with the help of some super friendly criticism from Kokoro Desire) that I need to do another non-canon chapter. I'm currently working on it right now. ****Please enjoy this chapter though! **

**I own nothing except Kyoko! **

**Commoner Culture?**

The Host Club left a few days before we did. Uncle Ryouji was annoyed when we told him that the Host Club had crashed our holiday job. Well, he wasn't so much as pissed off over the _crashing_ bit as much as the fact that Tamaki had been there. He did not like Tamaki, for many reasons I supposed, even though both of them shared a lot of similar qualities. Maybe that was why?

Anyway, almost all of our summer holiday had gone by. This was actually the last day of our holidays before we went back to school. While it was still rather warm, it was slowly getting cooler. Soon it would be autumn, and then winter, and then a new year would be upon us. I couldn't help smiling at the thought. I wondered if Ouran had New Year parties. I asked Haruhi if she knew anything about it.

My cousin shrugged as we walked towards the mall. She'd heard about an expo going on there, and we'd decided to go and look around. There were always a lot of interesting things to be found at those things, and a lot of bargains as well if you were looking. "I don't know if we have a New Year's party," she replied to my question. "I guess so. We should have asked Tamaki or Kyouya back in Karuizawa."

_I hope we do._ Dances were fun, and I hadn't gone to any while at Ouran. Haruhi told me that there was one a few weeks before I'd arrived, but when I asked for more information, she promptly clammed up and refused to talk about it. Something must have happened, but it couldn't have been too horrible. Probably it was just mildly embarrassing and slightly disconcerting.

The expo was in full swing by the time we got there. There were so many people walking around, with men and women in costumes handing out balloons and free samples of snacks. "I think there's some sort of fun event going on the roof," I informed Haruhi when I was done reading a poster. "Can we go and watch?"

"We'll check it out later," she promised. "Look, that shop is giving out samples of crab cakes!" The crab cakes were amazing, so I bought a pack. "Where do you want to go next?"

I bit my bottom lip and considered the mass of people and the brightly coloured storefronts. There was a guy handing out balloons to little kids. "Hmm, I really do want to check out that event on the roof. Don't you want to come with me?"

"I would, but I have to get some things for my dad," she pulled out a shopping list from her bag. "Let me see...glitter, baby-blue eyeshadow, some eyeliner, lipstick... Our expressions became more and more deadpan the more she read down the list. "It's all just make-up, and some other stuff," she shoved the list back into her bag and stared at me. "How about I meet you on the roof later?"

I nodded and turned to leave. "You have your phone, right?" I didn't want to not be able to find her later. When she nodded, I grinned and waved. "See you later, then!" I made my way over to the escalator. Whatever was going on up there, it was causing a lot of excitement, and when I got to the top, I could see why. There was a carousel and a stage, and a bunch of game stalls and interesting shops. There was even a pet shop, and a blonde kid was being licked to death by a golden Labrador outside it. "Wow!"

"Ah, Kyoko!"

"Huh, what the-? _GACK_!" I choked as I was glomped by two people that were very familiar to me. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked once they pulled away. "Not that I'm not glad to see you," I hastened to add. "But seriously, what the hell are the two of you doing here?" And if they were here, then that meant that the rest of the Host Club had to be around as well. I remembered the blonde kid outside the pet shop and groaned to myself.

Kaoru slung an arm over my shoulders. "Our lord heard about the expo and he insisted that we all go," he explained.

Hikaru wrapped an arm around my waist. "You look cute today," he noted. I was wearing a short black skirt, with white leggings underneath and a white boat-necked top and sandals. "We were going to ride the carousel!" He told me excitedly. "Do you want to join?"

_Ah well, just roll with it. _"Okay!" We chose horses for ourselves. I have never seen two people enjoy a carousel so much. Maybe it was the novelty of the scene and situation. "Tamaki, get off the ground!" I called over to the blonde when we got off the ride. "Is that your dog?"

He looked surprised to see me. "Oh, Kyoko!" He laughed and tried to sit up amidst the puppy's licks. It was a pretty heart-warming scene, I had to admit. "This is Antoinette!" The dog seemed to react to the sound of her new name by upping her licks. "Antoinette, stop, stop!" Tamaki laughed. "Oh, what are you doing here?"

"I'm just checking out the expo," I replied. "She's cute," I reached forward and scratched the puppy behind the ears. She immediately turned from Tamaki and tackled _me_. "_Gack_!"

"Antoinette, no! Stop it! Release my daughter!" Tamaki called to the puppy. As soon as she heard his voice, she raced back to him (showing where her true loyalties really lay) and continued giving him sloppy dog kisses all over his face. "Antoinette!"

_I really want a dog, _I thought. _But our apartment doesn't really allow big dogs, and I don't want a small one. Maybe I could get a cat instead? _I liked cats. I liked animals in general.

Kaoru grabbed my wrist and helped me off the ground. "Hey, Kyoko, do you want to get something to drink?" He pointed to a stand selling drinks, ice creams and smoothies. I nodded and the three of us made our way to the line for it. I spotted Honey and Mori standing a little way away with their own ice creams.

Honey beamed when he spotted me. "Kyo-chan!" I waved at him. "Are you going to get ice cream too? The ice cream here is really nice!" He was holding a triple layer, with vanilla at the bottom, strawberry in the middle, and chocolate at the top. Mori was holding the same, but he didn't seem as excited about it as his cousin did.

"I think I'll just stick with a smoothie," I bought a chocolate smoothie with whipped cream. Kaoru got an orange slushie, while Hikaru got a slushie in a flavour that I didn't see. Whatever it was, it was blue. "What flavour is that, anyway?" I eyed the crushed-flavoured-ice-drink over my smoothie.

Hikaru pulled the straw away from his mouth and held the cup out to me. "Try it." _Sharing ice creams is one thing, _I gazed at the straw. _At least you can pretend like you're biting into a different part. This...this is the most direct form of indirect kissing I've ever been a part of._

_Oh well._ Before I could think even more, I took a sip of the drink. "Blue lemonade?" I blinked. "That was unexpected. I thought it would be blueberry, or something." I heard the sound of firecrackers going up, and we turned to the stage. "Looks like the event is starting in a few minutes."

I think we were the only ones there over the age of 13 (not counting the parents that were there to watch their children). The twins, and Honey all stared at the stage in awe as more firecrackers exploded and smoke began to rise (Tamaki was still being licked to death by his newly-acquired pet). _Wait, someone is missing,_ I stared at the Host Club members. _Where is Kyouya? This really doesn't seem like his sort of scene, but I know Tamaki would drag him along anyway._

_Did he manage to get them to leave him alone?_ I considered the theory, but not for long, because a familiar laugh began to ring out. "Oh-hohohoho~" The smoke began to clear, and a girl began to rise up out of the ground. A very familiar girl, in a very unfamiliar uniform. "Oh-hohohoho~!" She beamed at the crowd and winked. "Hi everyone! Second semester starts tomorrow! Have you all finished your summer homework?"

I stared up at the stage, and then turned to the twins on either side of me. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but that _is_ Renge, isn't it?" They both nodded simultaneously. "Why is she here? And why is she part of the events?"

"Lately she's been..."

"...covering a very extensive range of events..."

_She's weird. _ A squeal from the stage drew our attention back to what was happening. Now there was a man in a monster costume on the stage, waving what looked like a meat chopper, and holding Renge hostage. "Hey kids! Naughty kids like you that are out playing instead of doing homework won't be able to go home now! I, Dr. Namahage, have taken over this Bonmal Department Store!"

Well, the costume and the voice were pretty good. A lot of the kids looked pretty terrified (including, for some reason, Honey). Renge overdid the part of the _damsel in distress_ a bit. "Help me, Ouran Host Power Rangers!"

_...the heck?_ That was plagiarism on two fronts. I turned my head as a voice came from offstage. "That's the end of it!" And then a guy in a black ninja costume ran out and struck a defensive pose. I narrowed my eyes. _Please don't tell me that's supposed to be Kyouya._

"Oh?" The monster, doctor, whatever it was, stared at the ninja while brandishing it's weapon. "You're the one they call the Shadow Leader of the Host Rangers!"

The ninja then struck a series of random poses, and then landed on one that just looked weird. "Host...BLACK!" _Someone help me. Wow these children are really easy to entertain._

"This is terrible," I commented. "And plagiarism. We should have Kyouya fine her when we get back to school."

Honey blinked, as though remembering something. "Oh yeah, where _is_ Kyou-chan?" The entire Host Club froze, and then turned to Tamaki.

"Wait, he's _here?_" I stared at them. "I thought he was at home. How the heck do you lose a person like Kyouya?"

Tamaki laughed nervously. "Uh, we may have brought him here while he was half asleep..." I facepalmed. _And then what? You got so excited about being at the mall that you put him down and promptly lost him? Talk about irresponsibility, and short term memory loss._ "A-anyway, let's go find him! I saw an information desk downstairs so let's ask there!"

_Maybe he ran into Haruhi_. My cousin hadn't joined me on the roof, so it was likely that the two had spotted one another and were traipsing around the store. I hoped Kyouya didn't give her a hard time, especially since he probably really annoyed with the whole situation.

We headed to the information desk. The woman there smiled at us warmly.1 "Hello. How may I help you?"

"We're looking for someone," Tamaki explained. "Have you seen anyone with dark hair and glasses? Oh, and he's wearing a beige, long-sleeved shirt and black jeans!"

After a few seconds of thought, the lady shook her head apologetically. "No, I'm afraid I haven't. However, I can put out an announcement if you'd like. If you could please tell me his name and your name?"

Tamaki beamed. "Ootori Kyouya," he supplied as she switched on a microphone that was just a little out of sight. "From Tokyo. I am Suou Tamaki!"

"_This is a call for a lost child,_" the microphone announcement. My eyes widened and I whirled around to stare at her in stunned horror. "_This is a call for a lost child. Ootori Kyouya, your guardian, Suou-sama is waiting for you at the 2__nd__ floor counter._"

Dammit, why did she have to assume that Kyoya was a kid? _He is going to kill us when he sees us. _Well, maybe we could convince him to calm down before he did us in. It's not like anyone knew what he looked like so it probably would be too bad.

"_Kyouya-kun is about..._" the woman pulled away from the microphone for a second. "Sorry, but how tall is he?"

"About 180cm," Tamaki replied. "But he's not a-!"

"_180cm in height,_" she picked up right where she left off. She really needed to learn how to listen, and Tamaki needed to be quicker with his words. The rest of us were staying out of this. "_He wears glasses and has dark hair..._"

I hooked my arms into the twin's and pulled them further away from Tamaki. "Let's not get caught up in the crossfire, okay?" It didn't take long for Kyouya to arrive, with my cousin in tow. "Oh, so that's what happened to you. Are you okay?" She looked exasperated, and tired, and just a little bit pissed off.

Tamaki's greeting was a lot like a relieved parent's. "Oh, Kyouya, you were safe and why is Haruhi here too?" He stared at my cousin blankly.

Honey ran to her. "Haru-chan, Haru-chan, let's play together!"

"Let's play, let's play!" The twins pleaded.

She stared at them. "No. I'm going home. I'm pretty tired today." _I bet you are._ I wrapped my arms around her neck from the side in a quick but comforting hold, and then I went to stand beside the twins. The sound of laughter directed our attention to Tamaki, who was being attacked by his new puppy (where had that thing been all this time?).

Kyouya stared at it expressionlessly. "What is that dog?"

Tamaki sat up after managing to calm the puppy down for a few moments. "She's fine, right? I bought her from the pet shop on the roof. Ah, stop Antoinette! Stop it, hahaha!" He fell back on the ground.

I watched them with a small smile on my face. "I wish I had a dog," I commented out loud. "Or a cat. Cat's are cute." I should have asked for one on my birthday. Oh well. I looked up at the twins. "What about you guys?" I knew that the twins didn't have any pets. Or, maybe they did and I just hadn't seen them. I had only visited them _once_.

Hikaru cocked his head to the side. "A dog would be pretty great," he nodded in agreement, and then he glanced down at me curiously. "Hey, Kyoko, when is your birthday anyway?"

I blinked and tilted my head to the side. "Uh, it was the day after school ended. Before you guys got to Karuizawa, I mean." I wondered why they were both staring at me with wide eyes, and then they glanced at each other, apparently communicating through their twin-telepathy powers. "I don't normally celebrate it anyway," I shrugged. "So I guess that's why I never mentioned it." I wasn't much of a birthday party sort of person. Hand me some cake and I'm good to go.

Kaoru nodded, and then he smiled. "There were some kittens in the pet-shop upstairs. Do you want to go see them?"

"Yes please!" But then a hand grabbed my collar and I was being dragged away. "No, Haruhi, I wanted to see the kittens!"

"We're going home now."

"Can I see the kittens first?"

"No."

"Meanie," I huffed, and then I waved to the Host Club. "Bye you guys! See you at school tomorrow!"

I was actually looking forward to going back to school. Sleeping in was fun, but I was beginning to lose all track of time, and I was afraid that I would get lazy and lose my half-scholarship. Studying with Haruhi helped though. For all her obliviousness, she was quite brilliant at her subjects.

Speaking of my cousin, I nudged her when we had taken our seats on the bus. "So, what did you and Kyouya-senpai do anyway?"

She huffed. "Nothing. He was in a terrible mood when I saw him, and then he somehow coerced me into buying him food since he was hungry. He did mention that he was going to force Tamaki to pay back ten times what I spent though." I giggled. Kyouya seemed rather vengeful when he was angry. "And then he helped a woman who was being swindled by one of the shopkeepers."

"Oh," I nodded. "That was nice of him." Kyouya could be a nice person, I was sure of it. No person was bad through and through. Everyone had nice attributes.

Huh, Tamaki's optimism was beginning to rub off on me. "I thought so too," Haruhi nodded. "He said he only did it because the woman was the wife of one of his father's business associates, but that wasn't it."

"How did you know that wasn't the reason?" Our stop was the one after this one. The bus stopped to pick up some people, and let others out.

"Because he said that the proof was this really huge ring on her finger," Haruhi pointed to the ring finger of her right hand. "But we couldn't even see the ring at the time because there was a flag in front of her." With that, my cousin slumped against the back of her seat and sighed. "I don't know why he wanted to pass it off as something that."

I shrugged and folded my arms across my chest. "Clearly I'm not the only one being influenced by Tamaki-senpai," I decided. _He's still an idiot though, but a lovely one all the same. _"By the way, did you get the makeup Uncle Ryouji wanted?"

The panicked look on my cousin's face was an adequate answer to my question.


	32. Chapter 32

**Turns out, writer's block is really hard to recover from (plus I'm still really feeling my whole Black Butler story thing) so here, have a randomly thought-up bonus chapter! I own nothing except all things that are a product of my imagination.**

**(I can't believe I came up with this at four in the morning)**

**Once Upon A Time…**

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom known as Ouran. The kingdom was very beautiful, and very blessed because there were a lot of rich people living there, and they liked having pretty things to look at because why have money if you can't use it to buy aesthetically pleasing things that you can stare at?_

_Ahem, anyway, the king of Ouran was Suou Tamaki. With his dazzling blonde locks, and dreamy lilac eyes, he captivated the females who gazed on him, and they all treated him and his friends favourably. Unfortunately, the king was married to a woman known as Fujioka Haruhi. His marriage caused quite a stir in the kingdom as the aforementioned female was a commoner and not royalty at all, but who cares about social standing anyway? Moving on!_

_The royal advisor was Ootori Kyouya, whose dark eyes and cool attitude caused many maidens and princesses to fall for him. This, of course, made it very easy for him to have a say in many of their financial/political/economical lives, but I digress._

_The two most trusted knights were Haninozuka Mitsukuni, and Morinozuka Takhashi. In spite of Haninozuka's short stature, no one could deny the boy's prowess and skill. Yet, his adorable baby-face, and cute mannerisms earned him the nickname 'Honey'._

_Finally, the princes: the twins Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru. While totally similar in face and form, the two of them were quite different internally. Still, they were both the bane of the castle guards and servants. They both revelled in tricks and games, and made it a point to taunt and tease nearly everyone they came across (especially the king)._

_Yet, their devil-may-care attitudes and near-cruel acts were only a shield to guard tender hearts that had been hurt before. When they were young, just barely ten, the twins were cursed by an evil witch who claimed that they would never find love until someone could tell them apart._

_Every so often, the king would host a party during which the princes would invite three lucky maidens and princesses to try to guess who was who. The lady who won could ask for the hand of either of the twins in marriage._

_Time passed, and no one could tell which twin was which, and the twins steadily grew sadder and sadder. They didn't mind only having one another, but the world looked so large when they gazed at it through the window. Why spend time with people who don't know who you are?_

_Chances are that the princes would have continued their cold, un-obviously introverted ways if not for an event that sparked a match in their dark world._

oOo

It was the day of a party, and they had both taken great care to ensure that their outfits were exactly the same. They had even gotten rid of the parting in their hair. Kaoru raised his arms to adjust the crown on his head, and he heard his brother sigh softly. "Hey," Hikaru glanced at his twin in the mirror. "Doesn't this get boring to you?"

They had been doing this since they turned twelve, and years had passed since then. They were both 16 now, and were nearing marrying age. "Yeah," Kaoru lowered his hands and went to help his brother with the buttons of his vest. "But, how else are we to know?"

Hikaru clicked his tongue and sighed. "I guess." He, more than his twin, wanted someone to be able to see them as themselves, and not as a set. Although he was older, he usually acted like the younger sibling, but he was full of protective love for his twin and wouldn't let anyone hurt him.

The slow sound of a violin in the distance alerted them to the beginning of the dance. _So it's starting, huh?_ Kaoru sighed and finished the last button. _I suppose we might as well resign ourselves to another night of desperate guessing._

At least the party was fun. No matter what anyone had to say about Kyouya, he knew how to plan a good party. Not that he stuck around to enjoy it for long, unless there were prospective business partners around that he could talk to.

The twins spotted Honey amongst the crowd being cooed over while Mori watched him from the sidelines (more or less ignoring his own fans). They had to shift out of the way as the king twirled Haruhi through the crowd with more flair and excitement than was probably needed. Servants darted between guests, carrying plates and platters of finger foods, and trays of drinks.

Hikaru chomped on a sausage, eying the crowd sullenly. For some reason, he felt restless, like something was going to happen that night. He was sure Kaoru felt it as well. Suddenly, there was a sound of glass shattering and someone screaming.

The violin cut itself off with a strangled screech and the crowd parted as the princes approached to reveal a servant girl kneeling on the ground. Both the princes could feel the exact moment when the air rushed out of their lungs and their eyes widened in shock. _She's cute! _

Of course, they had both seen a lot of cute girls in their lifetime. They were _princes _for crying out loud, but there was something about this girl that rendered them speechless for just a moment. Her face was pink (probably out of embarrassment), and her hair was tied back in a bun to reveal a delicate, oval face with high cheekbones. Her eyes were large and dark blue, like the night sky outside.

She was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by shards of broken glass and a puddle of red wine that was slowly spreading outwards. Standing above her was a girl with long, dark brown hair and an expression of horror and disgust. The twins recognised her as Lady Angeline, one of the girls that had been an avid player of the _Which is Hikaru? _ game they usually played.

The front of her yellow dress was stained with the wine and the stain wa slowly spreading and soaking into the fabric. "How dare you?" She hissed, raising her voice as the crowd grew. "You spilled wine all over my expensive new gown!"

"It was an accident!" The servant girl replied, and Kaoru noted that she seemed to be struggling to keep her tone respectful. He smiled slightly. "I would be happy to wash it out for you…"

"Shut up!" The servant girl blinked. "This dress probably costs more than your _existence!_" The girl flinched and frowned. "Ugh," she suddenly spotted the twins watching the event and her entire countenance changed. "Servants can be such hassles," she rolled her eyes and simpered up to them, playing for sympathy and attention. "Honestly, I don't know how _this_ one even got hired."

The twins frowned at the sneering tone of her voice, and then stared down at the girl. Had they seen her before? Maybe. Was she a recent addition to the castle? Kyouya made his way to the front and eyed the girl and the mess on the ground coldly. "How inconvenient," he muttered. "Clean this up at once. The money to pay for the glasses will be coming out of your pay-check."

Cheeks flushing at the curt order and reprimand, the girl nodded, and Kaoru noticed the way a few strands of her hair slipped from behind their ears when she got to her feet.

Suddenly, Lady Angeline smiled brightly. "Oh, I have an idea!" She turned to the princes. "Why don't we let her try to guess who's who? If she guesses right, then I'll pay for the glasses. But," a cold, condescending smirk appeared on her lips. "If she loses, then you have to fire her!"

Whispers broke out in the crowd, both excited and anxious. Tamaki stepped forward, hands up in a placating manner. "Lady Angeline, isn't that a bit extreme?" He tried to salvage the situation. "It was probably an accident!"

"Besides, you know that the reward for guessing right…" Hikaru started.

"…is that she gets to marry one of us," Kaoru finished. Titters rose up from the crowd, and the words _commoner_ and _plebeian_ floated around. The girl ignored the words, and Kaoru noticed the way her eyes switched from one twin to the other when they spoke.

"Still, I suppose we'll give her a chance," they said simultaneously, grinning widely. "It could be fun!" They leaned closer to her, and were once again struck by how cute she was. Her blue eyes were wide, but not necessarily worried. _Why isn't she more nervous? _"Alright, which one of us is Hikaru?"

Without missing a beat, she raised her hand to point. "The one on the left is Hikaru," she replied. "The one on the right is Kaoru."

Now, even when the person was able to guess correctly, the twins would still deny them being right. Why? Because they didn't want to be told apart based on simple _guesswork_. They wanted whoever told them apart to be able to do it based on actual evidence. Which was why they both made noises like a buzzer going off and laughed. "Wrong~!"

Giggles rose up from the crowd, and the servant blinked and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not wrong," she spoke louder. "You may both act the same, but you're still different."

At that, the twins froze. _How had she-?_ Arms latched onto them and Lady Angeline snarled at her. "How dare you talk back to the princes, you filthy peasant?"

"No, she can," Kaoru surprised himself by speaking first before his brother. "She's right." Loud, almost simultaneous and stunned gasps erupted from the gathered audience. The twins barely spared the lady by their side a glance, they only had eyes for the girl in front of them.

Hikaru's eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you know who was who?" There was no way to tell them apart, they looked _exactly _the same. One wasn't taller, or thinner, or darker than the other, they were complete mirror images in face and form. _So how…?_

She smiled, and the movement revealed a shallow dimple in her left cheek. "I've been in the palace for almost two months now," she shrugged. "I was bound to notice. Hikaru's much more outspoken than Kaoru, and Kaoru has gentler eyes. Ah," she pushed a strand of her hair behind her ears. "But you don't have to marry me. I just don't want to lose my job."

The tip of her ears and her cheeks were tinged pink. The twins shared a single glance, and then grabbed her between them. "Ah, but a promise is a promise after all," they grinned. Their hearts felt, _lighter_, as though there had been some great weight that had been lifted and a curse had been broken.

oOo

_The servant girl, whose name they were told was Daichi Kyoko (but who went by a series of nicknames such as pet, doll, kitten, Kyo-chan, sweetheart and other terms of endearment), was made the twin's personal maid. Although she could tell them apart, they treated her rather badly for the first few weeks._

What if it was just a lucky guess?_ They wondered. _What if she couldn't actually tell them apart?_ And so, for two weeks the twins constantly tried to make her slip up. They were afraid, what if she broke their hearts all over again. Yet, time passed and their pet never seemed to make a mistake. In fact, she seemed to grow even bolder. She yelled at Hikaru for going through her things. She pulled Kaoru's ears for trying to scare her in the dark._

_Still, she was kind. Kinder than any of the maids they'd ever had. She understood them in a way they thought only the other could. She stayed by their sides and did her best to make them feel better. The day they both caught colds from playing in the ocean, she nursed them all night until they felt better. _

_The first time they heard her laugh, to see such a happy, carefree look on her face, they suddenly wanted to be the ones to make her smile like that._

_Unfortunately, as months passed, the people and the neighbouring princesses began to talk and complain. Were the princes really going to marry that commoner? She was just a servant, so what could she do for them? Which one of the twins would she even choose to marry anyway?_

_The last question was the most important to the twins. Both had strong feelings for her, and both wanted her. They had become rather possessive over her. She was theirs. Call them selfish, call them childish, but neither of them liked to share what they had._

oOo

"Hey, Kyoko," Hikaru rolled over onto his side. On the other side of the bed, his twin did the same. Kyoko lay between them, her hands on her stomach and her body stiff. He chuckled lowly. She was always like this before she fell asleep, and then she seemed to cuddle and cling to them, craving their warmth.

This strange and scandalous sleeping arrangement had been decided by the twins a few weeks ago, the morning they had woken up after their fever-and-drug-induced sleep to find her curled up on the ground at the foot of their bed with. After that, they insisted (read _ordered_)that she sleep on their bed every night.

In response to his call, Kyoko lifted her eyes to him and blinked. "Yes, prince Hikaru?"

Hikaru frowned slightly at the title. Kaoru smiled and brushed a hand over her cheek. "We told you not to call us that when it's just the three of us," he reminded her, marvelling at how soft her skin was. Where was her dimple? Ah, now her cheeks were growing pink.

"Well it's what I'm supposed to call you anyway," she sighed. They both arched their eyebrows, waiting silently. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Hikaru. Kaoru."

They nodded. "Much better," Hikaru smirked and ran a hand over her neck. "So, Kyoko, which one of us would you like to marry?"

"_What?!_" The question was so unexpected that she sat up in shock. "Why would you ask me that? You both can't possibly expect me to choose-_ack!_" She yelped when arms came around her pushed her back down onto the bed. The twins were suddenly hovering over her body, staring down at her out of heated eyes. "Your majesties…?"

Their eyes flashed. "What did we tell you about that, sweetheart?" Kaoru brought his face closer to hers. Her eyes widened and she swallowed, hard, and tried to scoot backwards.

Smiles appeared on their faces and they followed until they had her backed up against the headboard and the wall. "If you can't choose one…" Hikaru cooed seductively into her right ear. He bit down on the skin gently, just enough to elicit a small gasp, and ran his tongue over the mark.

"…then would you prefer to have both?" Kaoru kissed her jaw and moved down.

_Her back arched and her fingers gripped the covers below her. "H-hikaru, Kaoru…Hikaru, Kaoru…"_

oOo

"Hikaru, Kaoru, wake up!" Their eyes snapped open and the twins blinked groggily. "Are you alright?" Kyoko leaned over them, the book she'd been reading clutched to her chest: _The Brothers Grimm. _"You guys slept all through Study Period."

Neither of them replied. Instead, they just stared at her, taking in the wide, dark blue eyes framed by dark lashes, the mass of dark chocolate hair that cascaded down her back, and the worried frown on her lips.

"Hey, Kyoko," Hikaru rested his head on his fist and blinked up at her. "How do you feel about marrying both of us?"

"_Where the hell did that come from?!_"

**Randomly thought up chapter is complete! Now I feel better about leaving you guys hanging! I have no idea why I made this chapter the way it was, but I made it anyway so here *throws it at you and sprints away* READ AND REVIEW!**


	33. Chapter 33

**So I sort of got over my writer's block, so here's the non-canon chapter I promised. I threw in the twins being possessive-yet-sweet little things because I've realised that I love that.**

**I do not own OHSHC**

**Birthdays and Reminiscing**

The first week back wasn't very serious though. I think the teachers were just feeling oddly generous, so this was our time to relax and get back into the swing of things. By Friday, most of the _back-to-school_ attitude had worn off and everyone was beginning to calm down.

Club activities didn't start until the following week, which meant that school ended earlier for most people. I had seen Kyouya making up schedules and evenrs for the Host Club, and taking early bookings from some really excited girls.

Classes were calm at the moment, and we spent most of the time discussing past tests and reading essays. Out of all my classes though, I think Home Economics was my favourite. I mean, it was mostly a class about cooking, and the teacher/school provided all the necessary ingredients needed for each dish. Occasionally we did have to bring something, but it was usually small (small for a school with a near solid gold statue).

We also got to take the food with you, so every Tuesday and Friday, I had an almost-free lunch. On Tuesday that week we'd made some fancy soup, the name of which escapes me at the moment, and some other fancy salad with feta cheese.

Cooking was one of my favourite things to do, so it wasn't too surprising that I nearly skipped into the classroom and managed to arrive much earlier than everyone else, including the teacher (but that was expected. Our teacher was notoriously late, and usually appeared about ten minutes into the period). Haruhi wasn't in my Home Ec. class, but the twins were.

You know, now that I think about it, they were in almost all of my classes. If not for the fact that my class schedule had been created _before_ the twins and I had started hanging out, I would have suspected some tampering.

I made my way to my station and began to tie my hair up in a bun for the class. Unfortunately, I stretched the thin band a bit too much and it snapped, stinging me in the process. _Are you kidding me_? I stared at the snapped rubber-band in my hand with a mental groan. I couldn't cook without tying my hair back. It was bad enough that my hair was far too long. _Maybe I should braid it instead..._

"Hey, Kyoko!" I yelped quietly when arms suddenly came around my shoulders from behind. "Did we scare you?" Kaoru leaned on the table in front of me, and Hikaru rested his chin on the top of my head.

"More like you surprised me," I rolled my eyes and they grinned. "Hey, do you guys have a ribbon or band or anything?" At their confused expressions, I explained. "I need to tie my hair up for this class and my band broke."

Hikaru clicked his tongue above me and pulled away to search his pocket. "You should be more careful," he muttered. I rolled my eyes again, this time with a smile, which widened when Kaoru smiled at me kindly. I blinked when I felt Hikaru gather my hair up. "Hold still," he murmured.

He handled my hair carefully, more carefully than I did. I hummed quietly as more students continued to pour in. Most shot us odd looks, some looked pleased, and a few looked annoyed. I noted, with some surprise, that some of the people that looked mildly irritated were guys.

"Done," Kaoru's voice tugged my attention back to them. I reached up to touch my hair, and I gave Hikaru a grateful smile. Kaoru tugged on a loose strand of my hair thoughtfully. "You know," he commented. "You smell good."

I choked briefly on the air I was breathing and stared at him with wide eyes. _How can you say something like that so casually?!_ "You really do," Hikaru hugged me around my shoulders and buried the lower part of his face in my hair.

"The two of you do realise we're in class, right?" I asked, and then I sighed when they both snickered quietly. "Sometimes I wonder if either of you even listen to me." My eyes narrowed when Kaoru winked at me playfully. His eyes went to something behind us and his smile dimmed just a tad. I blinked and turned my head to the side.

There was a girl standing there. I didn't know her all that well, save for the fact that she was in this class with me and I sometimes saw her around in the halls or the library. I think her name was Yukari, and she usually sat way on the other side of the room. She was almost always glaring at me, so I assumed that she was one of those hardcore, _Forbidden Brotherly Love _fans.

However, this time she had a cheery smile on her face. "Hi," she grinned at me. "You're Kyoko, right?" I nodded a tad stiffly since Hikaru's arms seemed to have tightened around me since her appearance. _Why though? I thought his fits of possessiveness only popped up when the person was male._ "I heard we were making chocolate cake and we needed partners. Do you want to be my partner for today?"

I opened my mouth, ready to turn her down in a nice manner. We normally didn't have partners in class since my Home Ec. class was rather small, with only about twelve people. If we did do anything that required teamwork (usually baking), the twins and I banded together for the hour and a half.

Actually, even when we weren't partnered up, I still had to help them because, as it turned out, neither of them could cook whatsoever, so I was needed to make sure they didn't mix up the sodium bicarbonate with the salt and kill anyone.

Therefore, I opened my mouth to decline the offer, but the twins beat me to it. When the threat was a guy, they both opted for the possessive _stay away from Kyoko_ approach, meaning that they both plastered themselves to me and glared at whoever the threat was. I hadn't seen what they would do when the threat was female though, mostly because it never was. Most of the girls were happy to sit back and watch us like we were a miniature show.

Therefore, I was not expecting what they would do. "Mmm, but Kyoko's _our_ partner," Hikaru tightened his grip on me. One arm unwrapped itself from around my shoulders and turned my chin to face him. "Isn't that right, Kyoko?" He brushed his fingers over my lips in a feather-light touch.

_The heck? _Kaoru rested his chin on my shoulder and spoke gently, so that his breaths caressed the skin of my neck. "So you can't have her," he replied. "She's ours."

_Ah, now I see. _I held onto sanity long enough to consider what they were doing. _When the threat is female, they just do this. You know, I prefer the threat being male. _On the other side of the room, several girls began squealing in a near deafening manner, and one started gushing blood from her nose and had to be taken to the nurse to recuperate. I was sure I spotted Renge in all of that, which was odd because she wasn't even in my class.

_Where is our teacher in all of this?_ I wondered.

The girl, Yukari, frowned and shook her head, causing the pigtails she had tied her hair into to bounce slightly. "She hasn't answered," she replied in a slightly sharp tone that had me blinking in surprise.

The twins frowned, and then they glanced at me. for the second time, I opened my mouth to speak, only for the door of the classroom to swing open and our teacher, a tall, willowy, bespectacled woman, to slide in like she _wasn't_ twenty minutes late. "Alright class, today we're going to make a Chocolate Mud Cake," she began immediately. "Since we don't have the time for individual cakes..." _Whose fault is that?_ "...I'll be assigning you all partners."

She began to call out the people who would partner up, and I noticed that Yukari hadn't left our station.

"...Hikaru and Kaoru, you're both in station 4. Kyoko and Yukari, you can both take station 5..."

_Huh, so I still have to be her partner anyway._ I sighed and started to move, and then I noticed that they were both still holding onto me rather tightly. "Um, you guys?" I said. "You have to let go now." They both frowned, but slowly disentangled themselves from around me and allowed me to grab my bag and make my way over to station 6.

Yukari smiled at me when I reached her, and it seemed less cheery but more authentic than her previous one. "I'm sorry if I pulled you away from them," she told me as she pulled open the tiny cupboard in every station and began to pull out the ingredients.

I shrugged and helped her arrange the things on the desk. "It's alright," I replied. "It was the teacher's decision anyway." The teacher in question walked past us and I waited until she was gone before I asked my question. "Why did you want to be my partner anyway?" We had not spoken prior to that day, and I had to wonder.

Her pigtails bobbed when she lifted her shoulders and lowered them again. I angled the paper with the recipe between us, and began measuring out the things we would need. "You're really close to the twins, aren't you?" I nodded, a tad bit distractedly. "If you don't mind me asking, how did that happen?" I shot her a confused look and she quickly added. "I mean, the twins were never all that friendly with other people before you and your cousin arrived, and you're always with them. Why?"

_Never that friendly?_ _Where have I heard that before?_ I flashed back to campus exhibition Ouran had hosted last term, the day the Lobelia Girls appeared. What had those girls said? _Something about how the twins never wanted to let other people near them._

For a moment, I wondered why that had been so, and then I remembered that I hadn't replied to Yukari's question. "Um, I think it's because I can tell them apart," I put down the empty sifter and motioned for her to pass me the sugar.

She did so with wide eyes. "You can tell them apart?" She looked shocked, and I wondered how she hadn't known that. Maybe she wasn't a Host Club fan like I'd thought. Even so, wouldn't she have overheard some gossip? "How?"

_Good question._ In the beginning, it had been simple: Hikaru's voice was different, his eyes were sharper and his attitude was a bit meaner than Kaoru's. His twin, by contrast, had a softer voice, gentler eyes and an aura that made me wonder if he was thinking deeply about many things. Later, however, I began to notice other differences. Minute ones, little things that told me _this is Hikaru_ and _this is Kaoru_.

I considered all these things for a moment, and then I shrugged and stepped back to allow her to pour in the egg and hot water. "I don't know," I replied, reaching for the spoon to stir the thick batter. "I guess when you really care about someone, you want to find out all about them." I did love both of them very much.

Yukari stared at me silently for a moment, seemingly debating internally with someone, and then she motioned for me to lean closer. "You know, they were both really mean in middle school," she told me. _Middle school?_ I suddenly realised that I had never asked the twins about their younger days. "Lots of girls had crushes on them, but they were always really cruel to them."

_Do I want to hear about this from her? _I suddenly realised why she had wanted us to be partners: she wanted to tell me mean things about the twins, maybe in the hope that I would be so disgusted with them that I'd stop hanging around them.

_I don't want to gossip._ I could be nosy, yes, but I wasn't sneaky (unless it was for a good cause). _If I ask the twins, will they tell me?_ Most likely. I hadn't realised I had zoned out of what she was saying until she poked me in the shoulder. "Kyoko-chan?" She stared at me curiously. "It's time to put the batter in the oven."

Chocolate Mud Cake only takes thirty minutes to bake, so I spent that time cleaning up the work surface and ignoring Yukari. Unfortunately, she seemed determined to talk whether or not I was listening to her. "…used to lie about who was who…"

That bit caught my attention and I turned to her, curious in spite of myself.

Seeing that I was now paying her attention, she repeated that part of her spiel. "They used to pretend to be each other," she explained to me. "If a girl liked one, then one of them would appear claiming to be the other. Then he'd ask if he'd be alright for her..."

She explained the trick to me, and I nodded attentively. It was a clever, but rather cruel ploy. However, I could understand their point of view. Just because they looked alike, that didn't mean that one was as good as the other. In a way, it was a bit prideful to claim that either one would do in place of the other.

"That is mean," I pursed my lips thoughtfully. "I take it you were one of the girls?" She flushed and looked away. "So why did you tell me any of this? Was it a warning?" _Or just you being mean?_ That was left unsaid, but it hung in the air. She frowned and looked away pensively. "You know," I checked the cake in the oven. "Even if the twins hurt you, they're different people now. They might have been cruel, but not forgiving them really doesn't do much good."

I'd seen a quote somewhere that said that not forgiving a person was like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. For a moment, Yukari just stared at me, and then she started to say something. Before she could, however, there was a crash and I turned around to see what had happened.

Kaoru was kneeling in front of his station's oven and clutching his hand to his chest. Hikaru was crouched over him. I was immediately at their side, kneeling beside them. "Kaoru, are you alright? Did you burn yourself?"

"My fingers touched the handle by accident," he smiled at me and then winced at the pain in his fingers. A small crowd had amassed around us, as had the teacher.

She frowned worriedly. "Oh, did you get hurt? Um," she suddenly seemed to be struggling to decide which twin had been injured. I sighed (what did it matter?) and offered her the name. "Yes, Kaoru. Hikaru, take Kaoru to the infirmary!"

Kaoru got to his feet and leaned against his brother, playing up his helplessness. I wondered if Kyouya had asked them to do this, sort of like advertising for the club. "Kyoko, are you coming?" Hikaru stared at me.

I blinked at him. "Uh, I still have class," I pointed out.

Kaoru pouted at me from his brother's arm, and tilted his head in the manner of a wounded puppy. "But, Kyoko, I need you. Won't you come?" I looked away, knowing that if I kept looking I would agree because I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to cute things. Unfortunately, when I turned my head I met the teary eyes of the girls in the class, including the teacher.

_The heck? _I stared at her with wide eyes. _I suppose even the female teachers aren't immune to Host Club charms._ "How sweet, how sweet," she was dabbing at her eyes. "Kyoko, you're excused for the rest of the class! I'm sure Yukari won't mind keeping your half of the cake, right Yukari?" I glanced at the girl and watched her nod silently.

Hikaru promptly linked an arm with mine. "Well then, we'll be going!" The door of the classroom slammed shut. For someone who was sustaining an injury, Kaoru sure recovered quickly. When we reached the infirmary, however, the nurse wasn't in. "Ah, what a pain."

I glanced around the pristine, empty room while the twins took seats on one of the beds. "I can still bandage up your hand," I called over my shoulder as I went over to look at the creams and instruments. I think I already mentioned it earlier, but I really want to be a doctor when I grow up, so I used to pop by the nurse's office during the last term for experience points.

They both watched me as I took down some cotton balls, some burn cream and a roll of gauze. "Are you sure you're allowed to do that?" Hikaru asked me. I shrugged and placed the items on the table, before snipping off a puff of cotton to use.

"Yeah, but it's for a good cause so I'm sure she won't mind," I opened the burn cream and squeezed some out onto the cotton ball. "I want to be a doctor when I get older, so I used to come here a lot last term." The palm of his hand was red and slightly blistered, but it didn't look too bad.

Kaoru hummed curiously. "A doctor, huh?" He winced when I pressed the cold cream to his skin.

"What kind?" Hikaru asked me. I lifted my shoulders and applied more burn cream to Kaoru's skin. I wasn't sure at the moment. There were so many branches of medicine that I could choose to veer into, and I had never thought of just one exclusively. "Either way, you'd make a cute little nurse. Maybe we should suggest the idea to Kyouya?"

If my hands hadn't been full with wrapping up Kaoru's hand, I would have thwacked him upside the head for that comment. Kaoru chuckled. "Don't tease our kitten so much," he chided his twin. "She bites. Right, Kyoko?"

I decided to ignore them in favour of finishing up the wrapping and pinning of the gauze. "I'm done," I dropped Kaoru's hand and started putting all the things I had used where they were supposed to be. I tossed the used cotton ball away and turned back to face them. "Is class over?"

"Not really," Hikaru checked the clock behind me. "We still have fine minutes left." Well five minutes wasn't much, but we could get in trouble if anyone found us wandering about in the corridors before classes were over. "Come to the roof after school." The sudden order made me blink in confusion.

"There's something we want to show you," they were both avoiding my eyes, and both of them had pink cheeks. I wondered what they could possibly want to show me on the roof of the school.

oOo

School had ended twenty minutes ago and I was just rushing out of the library, my half of the cake clutched in my arms. It had taken a while to find Yukari, and I was just glad she hadn't gone home before I could.

She was actually quite nice, underneath all her dislike for the twins, but I think talking to me had helped her a bit. _But now I really want to know more about what the twins were like when they were younger._

_Speaking of the twins_, I frowned slightly as I slowed my running to a brisk walk. They had been distant for the rest of the day. They still talked to me, but they kept disappearing during breaks and, when I looked over at them, they were whispering furtively to each other. In a way, it was almost as though they were avoiding me.

_I wonder what they're planning,_ I sighed as I turned a corner and headed for the stairs that would take me to the roof. I could see the sun setting slowly through a large window in the hallway, and the sky was slowly turning a gentle orange as it descended. The view would be gorgeous from the roof, and I quickened my steps again.

Ouran had a very nice roof. It wasn't plain and empty, but there was a miniature garden at the top, and chairs. There was even a swing set, but I think it was more for scenery since ivy had started to grow around it.

The door of the roof was usually locked to prevent trysts occurring up there during the day, but this time it was open. My fingers curled around the door-handle, and I pushed the metal door open. Immediately, a shower of glitter and confetti flew at me, half blinding me for a moment. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The entire Host Club, including Renge, was standing around a table laden with cakes and snacks. In the centre of the table was a large chocolate and vanilla cake with the words _Happy Birthday Kitten _in fluffy cream icing. "W-what is this?"

The twins appeared on either side of me, and I felt them snap something onto my head: a party crown. "We missed your birthday, didn't we?" Hikaru wrapped an arm around my waist.

"We wanted to celebrate it with you," Kaoru draped an arm around my shoulders. Haruhi was being clutched by a crying Tamaki (I think he was bawling something about missing his daughter's birthday), and staring at him with a mildly annoyed and deadpan expression.

Honey was on Mori's shoulders and blowing one of the party whistles. Mori blew one as well, which had to be the most festive I'd ever seen him ever.

Kyouya was standing beside the table and scribbling something in his notebook, but he did look up to smile briefly at me. There were maids standing a little way off, and I recognised two of them as the twin's demon maids.

Haruhi, having finally managed to get out of Tamaki's death grip, wandered over to me with a tiny smile on her face. "Consider this a late birthday celebration," she grinned at me. For a while, I couldn't even move. No one had ever done anything like this for me in my life, and I suddenly felt like crying.

"Kyoko" I turned to look at the twins. They both looked faintly worried. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

_No, nothing's wrong. Absolutely nothing. _I shook my head and beamed at them. "No, I'm fine. I'm just really grateful."

My impromptu birthday party was fun, but short. All the food was devoured really quickly, courtesy of Honey-senpai and myself. My cake was fantastic, and the icing was creamy and delicious. Normally I wasn't a big fan of icing (all the sugar made me feel sick) but I ended up licking the icing from Haruhi's slice as well as mine.

Slowly, one by one, the Host Club members began to leave. Honey gave me a kiss on the cheek and promised to coach me in judo if I ever wanted. I assume that Mori-senpai's grunt meant the same, only for kendo. Kyouya, in a rare show of kindness, knocked off ten thousand yen from Haruhi's debt.

Finally, I was left with the twins. Haruhi had left without me, claiming that she had to go pick up groceries for the weekend. "Did you have fun?" Hikaru asked me while the maids swept up every trace of the party.

I nodded happily and smiled at him. "Yeah, I did. Thank you," I suddenly noticed that Kaoru was missing. "Hey, where's Kaoru?"

"He went to get our present," Hikaru grinned. _Present?_ "Kaoru!" I spun around and nearly squealed.

In his arms, cradled carefully, was a tiny white kitten with the largest blue eyes I had ever seen. The kitten mewled quietly and stared up at me. The twins grinned proudly. "Do you like her?" Kaoru handed the kitten to me. "We got her the day we were at the mall. She's cute, isn't she?"

_Cute, so cute. They got me a kitten. They actually got me a cat._ I held the kitten up to my face and giggled when she batted at my nose. "Yeah, she is," I looked up from my new present and planted a kiss on their cheeks. "Thank you, Hikaru, Kaoru."

They both looked stunned, and then pink blushes appeared on their faces and they both looked away from me. "No problem," Kaoru mumbled.

"Yeah," Hikaru blushed. "No problem at all."

**There we go! Kyoko's birthday party, with her new kitten and something for her to chew on later: what were the twins like when they were younger? Yukari isn't quite an OC, but is actually just the name I gave to that girl they were mean to in the anime. **

**Read and review please!**


	34. Chapter 34

**I'm going to be taking more from the manga than the anime for this arc (and maybe for future arcs) because the anime ignores some key character building parts. Plus, I like Satoshi and the way he manages Chika. **

**Also, I'm really thankful for all you wonderful people who take the time out to review my stories. It makes me want to dive through my computers and hug every single one of you, or just write more chapters. **

**And I'm glad you see Kyoko as someone for the twins. I want her to be a special person for **_**them**_**. Haruhi is great, but she's stretched between everyone else. Kyoko is solely for the twins (although she likes everyone else as well)**

**I own nothing except my OC**

**Chika-chan's Declaration**

_Sapphire? Chloe? Maybe I should try a genre, something unusual…maybe folktales. Morgan? Hecate? That's weird… _

"Kyoko," Haruhi's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to her curiously. "You've been thinking about what to name the kitten all day. Snap out of it."

It was true, and not only that day, but for the whole weekend as well. Every time I thought of a name, it just didn't seem to fit. I didn't want my kitten to grow up without a name! "But I have to think of one by _today_," I whined to my cousin. "And it's not like you or Uncle Ryouji were any help."

Haruhi's imagination isn't all that wild, and Uncle Ryouji's was a bit _too_ wild. He just kept coming up with random names that he wanted to be able to call _us_. My kitten was not going to grow up with the name _pookie_.

Monday was my self-set deadline to come up with a name.

Anyway, Haruhi and I were heading to the club after school. We had the same last class, but the twins weren't with us so it was just me and my cousin. When we got there, however, the door was still locked. "Huh, it's still locked," I blinked. "Are we the first to arrive?" This was new.

Haruhi frowned. "This just makes it seem like we're too keen to get started," she sighed. I giggled and was about to ask her if we should walk around again and come back later, but then I heard footsteps coming down the corridor.

I turned around first, and spotted a short boy with brown hair and eyes. He was dressed in the middle school uniform with glasses, and he looked rather cute. He also seemed really familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. "I beg your pardon," he started politely. "But are you members of this club?" We both nodded silently. "I'm looking for a third year by the name of Mitsukuni Haninozuka."

"Mitsukuni...?" I cocked my head to the side. "Oh, you mean Honey-senpai?" I didn't hear too many people referring to him by his full name.

Haruhi lowered her hand from the doorknob of the Host Club clubroom. "It doesn't look like he's here yet," she replied. "Maybe he's still in 3-A or the kendo hall?"

However, just as she was saying this, Honey and Mori appeared down the hall. Honey waved to the boy cheerily, spouting flowers and sheer happy cuteness. "Ah, Chika-chan!" He beamed at the boy from his perch on Mori-senpai's shoulders. "What's up? You rarely ever visit the high school section!"

The boy pushed up his glasses. "Honey-senpai, _engarde!_" He suddenly leaped at Honey, one leg out and aiming a kick at him. Honey immediately dodged the kick. He flipped himself off Mori's shoulders and landed on the ground a little way away. _What the-?! _I gaped at the two of them. _What's going on?_

What stunned me even more was that Mori-senpai wasn't doing anything. He was just watching the two of them silently with his usual apathetic expression. "Wait!" Haruhi yelled, just as panicked as I was. "What's going on?"

The two boys turned to stare at each other. Honey's expression was mild and vaguely surprised, while the other (I think Honey referred to him as Chika) just looked angry as he stood up again and adopted a fighting stance. I whirled around to face Mori. "Why aren't you doing anything?!" He just made a small grunting sound.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" Haruhi yelled at him. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and a familiar high pitched laugh filled the air. "What the-?"

Renge rose out of the ground on her strange, high-power-motor platform. She was holding a microphone like a sports' commentator. "And Honey-senpai easily dodges Chika's pre-emptive strike!" And then a sign appeared next to her: **Reporting Live.**

I blinked. "What the heck?" Why is she reporting? We're_ literally _right here.

"Quickly and elegantly flying through the air," she continued her commenting with a great verve and passion found in all fangirls. "Could he be a modern day Ushiwakamaru?"

"That, or a teeny astronaut," Hikaru commented. I hadn't noticed that the twins had arrived until I felt two weights on both of my shoulders. _Is no one surprised at this? Can someone explain what is going on? Who is this guy and why is he trying to kill Honey-senpai?_

"And Chika's back on his feet in zero time, and he launches his second attack without giving Honey-senpai any time to recover!" Chika was throwing a series of super fast punches, all of which Honey-senpai manages to dodge with relative ease, before dropping to the ground and kicking his leg out in a sweeping motion. "Honey-senpai dodges and proceeds to do a leg sweep! Both are giving it all they've got!"

At that moment, I stopped panicking so much and started wondering why Renge was telling us what was happening even though we could see it already. They were both _right there_. "I'm confused," I murmured, mostly to myself.

Honey and Chika both paused for a few seconds to catch their breath. Well, only Chika looked out of breath. Honey looked relatively fine, and still as cute as ever in spite of his fierce fighting skills. "Oh, they're at it again?" Tamaki's voice came from behind us.

"Couldn't they have found a better place to do this?" Kyouya wondered.

"Why are you both so indifferent?!" Haruhi yelled at them. Suddenly, something caught my eye on the battlefield and I gaped as Chika suddenly pulled a metal stick from somewhere behind his back. "ISN'T THAT CHEATING?!"

Tamaki whistled lowly, but nonchalantly. "Wow, it has been a while, hasn't it?" He wondered. "They're really into it." _Well, as long as no one dies…_

"And Chika brandishes a weapon!" Renge shouted into her microphone, getting more excited. Chika came at Honey again, swinging the weapon at him. Honey flipped backwards a couple of yards to avoid the staff that was being swung at him with absolutely no remorse.

_Why is no one more panicked about this?_ I wondered, glancing from the twins to Tamaki and Kyouya, to Mori-senpai. _I mean, I understand why no one would want to get involved in _that, _but why is everyone so calm?_

Suddenly, the staff connected with Honey and he flew backwards. My eyes widened in shock. "Honey-senpai got blown away!" Hikaru yelled.

"Could this be Chika's first victory!?" Kaoru yelled.

Chika stared at Honey lying face-down a few metres away. "I did it?"

There was silence for a while, during which Chika caught his breath and Renge and Mori studied the battle scene. After a few moments of deliberation, Mori spoke. "No," he said shortly. "Mitsukuni won." Chika started, and then looked down at his feet. I echoed his movements and blinked. Chika's trousers had been pinned to the floor with that looked like shuriken. "It's called _kage-nui_."

_Why the ever-loving frick-frack does Honey have knives on him?!_ I stared at the cute loli-shota with wide eyes. _Shouldn't that be against school rules?_

"Honey-senpai displayed his skill with shuriken!" Renge cheered. Haruhi and I both wore deadpan expressions. _Shuriken, huh? That's pretty surprising._ Honey got up from where he had been lying down and dusted himself down. "Chika has been rendered immobile, making Honey-senpai the winner!" With that, she disappeared back into the ground squealing quietly.

When she finally disappeared, I voiced the question I had been dying to ask since this whole thing had started. "What the absolute hell was all that about?"

"To begin with," Haruhi stared at Chika. "Who is that?" The poor kid was kneeling on the ground in front with a depressed aura coming off his body.

Tamaki looked at my cousin with mild surprise. "Oh, you can't tell by their faces?" He said. "That's Honey-senpai's younger brother: Yasuchika Haninozuka." Our eyes widened. No wonder he had looked so familiar when I first saw him. He looked like an older, not-blonde version of Honey (which was odd, since he was apparently the younger brother).

"That doesn't explain why he attacked Honey-senpai though," I said aloud. The twins opened their mouths to explain, but then I heard the sound of someone running.

"YASUCHIKA!" Someone roared.

_Thwack!_

"HOW DARE YOU SKIP CLUB ACTIVITIES?" The stick came out of nowhere, and sent Chika flying. I gaped because standing right in front of me was a miniature Mori-senpai. The kid looked _exactly_ like Mori, but shorter, and with a lot more facial expression.

Mori stared at the kid blankly. "Satoshi."

The boy, Satoshi, whirled around to stare at Mori-senpai with wide eyes. "Taka-bro!" He raced over to Mori, practically emitting pleased sparkles. "How has your day been? Are you going to the kendo club today?" He babbled all of this while Mori-senpai patted his head silently. They were polar opposites of each other, and it was clear that Satoshi adored his older brother.

Chika, on the other hand, seemed to harbour some sort of grudge against Honey-senpai, even though Honey seemed to care about him a lot. I watched the blonde cry over Chika's wounded skull.

Tamaki quickly explained what had occurred, and Satoshi grinned. "Oh, I didn't realise!" He rubbed the back of his head still smiling happily. "So Yasuchika came to see his older brother?" _So that's what Mori-senpai would look like if he smiled,_ I stared at the younger and older versions of them. _Either way, they're both attractive to look at._

A few minutes later, Chika and Satoshi were sitting on one of the couches. Chika looked annoyed, probably because of the bruise on his head (I'd fetched an ice pack for it) and his defeat. His dark mood was kept at bay by Satoshi's excited chattering. _Wow,_ I stared at the two of them. _Talk about polarizing personalities. If not for their appearances, I wouldn't be able to tell that they were related to Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai._

"Sorry for bothering you like this senpais," Satoshi chomped on a bit of cake. "Ah, this tea and cake is delicious!" I smiled slightly at him. His excitement and happiness was infectious.

Tamaki smiled as well. "It's no problem. Yasuchika, would you like some as well?" He offered the other boy.

Chika made a small, huffing sound. "I can't stand anything sweet," he said coolly.

Satoshi froze, and then Chika was on the ground with another bruise forming on his head. Satoshi glared down at him even as he stomped Chika's face into the ground. "How dare you disrespect your senpai in such a way?!" He yelled. _Whoa,_ I blinked.

Tamaki sweatdropped. "Uh, I seriously don't mind, Satoshi," he tried to diffuse the situation.

"What is with all the head thwacking anyway?" I wondered. My shoulders were beginning to hurt from where the twins were leaning on me. It wasn't like I minded it when they leaned on me, because they usually didn't use their entire weight like they were doing right then.

I noted that they had been oddly silent during all of this, and I glanced up at them to find their eyes on Honey-senpai. The cute, upperclassman was halfway through his third slice of cake.

Satoshi turned to me. "For hundreds of years, the Morinozukas have served the Haninozukas. As it is my sworn duty, I cannot let Yasuchika grow up to be a spoiled brat! Not even if death came my way!" I could almost see the words _loyalty, passion_ and _warrior spirit_ coming off him.

_That's a bit too drastic though, _I sweatdropped, and then I heaved an internal sigh of relief when the twins took their arms off me and pointed to Honey-senpai. "Uh, the one who loves sweets and cakes, and is the most indulgent loli-shota boy..." Hikaru started.

"…who is also the next heir to the Haninozuka family," Kaoru added. "Is right over there," they both concluded. I glanced back at Honey. He had moved on to his next slice, and was still going strong. _Well, _I figured. _I guess he did burn a lot of calories during that fight._

Satoshi shook his head. "Mitsukuni is alright," he said firmly. "Because my bro doesn't make mistakes." I stared at him, and then stared at Mori-senpai. In spite of this blank expression, he looked just a tiny bit pleased at his younger brother's continuous praise. _I seriously want a brother or a sister right now._

"That kid needs to wake up," Hikaru commented. I stared as he whipped out a bottle of hot sauce from…somewhere, and poured a healthy dose of it into Satoshi's tea.

I pushed them away from the drink hurriedly. "Why did you do that?" I hissed at them. "Why were you even carrying hot sauce around?"

They both shrugged. "We were going to put it in the lord's tea," they told me. "But this works too!" I whirled around, prepared to take the tea from Satoshi, but he had already taken a sip of the Tabasco-spiked drink.

"Wow what great tea!" He cheered. "It's nice and spicy!" The twins and I watched Satoshi gulp down the lot like they _hadn't_ put a really spicy food condiment inside his drink._ Does this kid even have tastebuds?_ I wondered with a deadpan expression.

"I'll tell you something," Chika spoke up. "This half-assed person called Mitsukuni will never become the heir of the Haninozuka family." I saw Honey-senpai stop eating his cake out of the corner of my eyes. "Even though the Haninozukas are a noble family, we have been exceptionally brilliant in martial arts. All the males are required to learn karate and judo, as well as our own Haninozuka style of fighting. We are also taught to attack clan members whenever we meet, so that we are constantly on guard."

Oh, well that explained a lot. It didn't make much sense to me, but it did explain why Chika had tried to murder Honey-senpai when he spotted him. "So it's a family rule…" Haruhi looked bemused.

Chika huffed and pointedly looked away from his older brother, even though his next words were directed at him. "I admit that you are very strong brother," he said. "But the basic principle of the Haninozuka style is to throw away your own desires and achieve selflessness. You have been corrupted by your own desires and have no right to bear the Haninozuka name!"

_You need to keep calm and eat some cake. Or drink tea. Just stop talking._ With every word, I could see Honey-senpai becoming more and more morose in the corner. If it had been anyone else, I would have stepped in, but this was a family matter.

"You even quit the karate club, even though you were made captain!" Chika glared at Honey angrily. "Let this be the last time you dishonour the Haninozuka name!"

Boom, enter Satoshi. The boy was pinching Chika's cheeks rather hard and yanking at them like the younger Haninozuka's face was made of Play-Doh. At least he wasn't thumping him on the head anymore. Chika was going to lose a lot of brain cells that way. "What did you say?!" Satoshi snarled. "Is that really something you tell your older brother?!"

Chika yelped and tried to squirm out of the painful grip. "Satoshi, cut it out!" He finally managed to pull away, but his cheeks were now very red and looked rather sore. He gave a small sob and I was suddenly struck by how incredibly _cute_ and Honey-like he seemed at that moment. "You didn't have to get that mad…"

_Damn, he's cute._ I wondered what kind of person he really was, underneath all that _reject all happiness and joy _mentality. What was he actually like?

He got to his feet and turned back his brother. "Anyway, I'm warning you Mitsukuni! Like I always say: stay away from me in school!" _And the moment's gone._ The Host Club watched Satoshi sprint after Chika while brandishing his weapon, and the two quickly disappeared down the hall.

_I feel like this is going to be the start of one of Tamaki's I'm-going-to-fix-everything plans._

Twenty minutes had passed and Honey-senpai sill hadn't cheered up and recovered from what his brother had said. Those sort of words had to hurt if they came from your family, especially your own brother. I didn't have any siblings, but I did have a bunch of male cousins on my father's side. A lot of them had tormented my existence when I was younger, so I'd developed a sort of tolerance to it.

Siblings were different. You lived with them, ate with them, and saw them almost all the time. It wasn't fair for Chika to dislike Honey simply because Honey liked stuff he didn't. Besides, Honey-senpai was pretty selfless (to a certain extent). I mean, it takes me a good while to decide if I want to share my food with people, but Honey didn't mind sharing his cakes and stuff even though he loves them.

Plus, Honey was really strong, and really skilled.

The blonde upperclassman had taken to standing in front of one of the windows with his stuffed rabbit in his arms. Haruhi and I came up behind him quietly. "Uh, Honey-senpai?" She started, but he just lowered his head silently.

Tamaki came over as well and held out a plate. "Honey-senpai, what shall we do with this extra piece of cake?"

The loli-shota perked up at once, and whirled around. "I'll eat it!" In less than five seconds, the cake slice was gone, and Honey seemed to be back to his normal self. He was twirling around the room and laughing happily. _Well, at least he's happy now._

"So, Honey-senpai," Haruhi watched him. "You were a member of the Karate club? I didn't know that! Why did you quit it to join something like the Host Club?"

Tamaki pouted at my cousin. "What do you mean by that?"

"Because," she explained coolly. "No matter how you think about it, the Karate Club is a much more legitimate club than the Host Club." Her words sent the blonde King into a depressed-emo-corner. That was true. I wouldn't want to write down _I was in a Host Club_ as an extra-curricular if I was applying for a college unless I wanted to be a model or something where looks and charm mattered. And I didn't.

Suddenly, those two weights were back on my shoulders again, only they had gone back to not using their full weight. "To find the answer to that…"

"…you have to dig a little bit into the past..."

"…long before the Host Club began," Hikaru lowered his voice a bit so that it sounded more mysterious. His arm slipped around my shoulders fully.

Kaoru mirrored his brother's actions as he picked up from where his twin had left off. "There was a legend of Honey-senpai, the 'demon captain' of the Karate Club that we'll tell you about now."

The story was pretty cool, although it had little to do with its given title. Honey-senpai was, apparently, the most skilled fighter at his family's dojo. Although their family's fighting style wasn't discriminatory towards body types, Honey-senpai was still pretty small in spite of his great strength and prowess.

In order to obey his father's wishes to become stronger, he gave up all the sweets and cute things that he loved, and he tried to adopt a much more _manlier_ image. It didn't work out, but it did earn him a fanclub.

Haruhi and I blinked at the end of this tale. We glanced at each other, and then back at the twins. "What does that have to do with the Demon Captain Legend?" Haruhi asked.

The twins pressed their cheeks against mine. "Well…"

It was not as cool as the last one. It was just about how the Karate Club members had tried to say something nice about Honey-senpai. However, the twins seemed dramatically touched by the story. Haruhi and I sweatdropped as they started crying.

"What a tearful story!"

"Tearful, huh?" Haruhi arched an eyebrow as she stared at them both. "Are we supposed to cry now?"

I patted them both on the shoulders. "So what happened in the end?"

In the end, Tamaki convinced Honey-senpai to join the Host Club. You could say he bribed him with the promise of sweets and cute things, but that wasn't it. Tamaki, instead, imparted some of his rarely-appearing wisdom onto Honey-senpai: that true strength was being able to understand the sort of person you were, and not try to be someone else. Running away from yourself was a form of cowardice. Only those who were truly strong could face themselves, and conquer what needed to be conquered.

Alright, some of that was my own view, but Tamaki's bit of advice had really done the trick. Honey had embraced himself and what he loved, and he was stronger emotionally for it. _Physical strength isn't everything, anyway._

Besides, Honey was already plenty strong. He did manage to defeat his own father, the current head of the Haninozuka family. Apparently, Honey was no longer allowed to fight with his true power because then Japan would be suspected of harbouring weapons of mass destruction.

"That sounds pretty epic, actually," I commented.

The twins shrugged. "He hasn't betrayed his family all that much, actually," Hikaru commented. "Even though he quit the Karate Club, he still trains at home."

"So there has to be another reason for Chika's hatred of Honey-senpai," Kaoru said.

_True, _I hummed quietly. _Five, four, three, two, and..._ "Okay, my fellow subjects!" Tamaki grinned widely. "We will now commence the great _Haninozuka Brothers Get-Together _battle plan!"

I groaned and folded my arms across my chest. _I knew it,_ I sighed as the twins cheered on either side of me.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chika vs. Honey**

The next day, Tamaki insisted on taking a Host Club field trip down to where the karate club was held. He had also managed to make everyone in the Host Club pink bandanas that read _The Haninozuka Brothers Reconciliation Task Force_ for everyone.

Out of everyone, only Haruhi, Tamaki, the twins and I were wearing ours. Kyouya was too cool to don something so…not. Mori was Mori, and Honey was already a Haninozuka so it didn't matter anyway.

At least it helped keep my hair out of my eyes.

We watched as Satoshi tried to whack Chika over the head with his kendo sword while yelling at him to not take his anger out on the other club members. "A CAPTAIN MUST NEVER LOSE HIS COMPOSURE!"

"OW! SATOSHI, KEEP YOUR SHINAI OUT OF THE DOJO!"

"SHUT UP, I'M CORRECTING YOUR CHARACTER!"

_That is a painful method of disciplining someone. _The four of us watched all these goings-on through the window. No one had seen us yet, which was great because we'd look weird. _Isn't Satoshi in the kendo club? Why is he here?_

Hikaru clicked his tongue loudly. "This is just a simple issue of complex," he said.

"He's always being compared to his brother because they look alike," Kaoru nodded sagely. "And so he hates his brother more than he should." _That seems to be it. _I remembered the girls that had come to peek in on the club earlier, and had claimed that Honey-senpai was far cuter than his baby brother. Then there had been that comment one of the karate club member had made about Honey-senpai's skills being far superior to his brother's.

_All in all, this is just a simple case of misplaced sibling jealousy. _"Well, that's unfortunate," I murmured. Being compared to other people sucked. I wondered why the twins seemed so disappointed though. If the problem was this simple to figure out, then at least we knew where to start.

Instead, they tossed off their headbands and began dragging me away by my arms. "This is boring. Let's go find something else to do!"

Tamaki whirled around to glare after them. "Hold it right there! What's with that uncooperative attitude? This was all your idea anyway!"

It was. Tamaki had come up with the plan, but then he had added (in a rare show of maturity) that if Chika wanted us to butt out, then we should. The twins had then done their whole _brotherly love _thing, spouting stuff about how Tamaki couldn't _possibly_ understand how _important_ something like this was since he didn't have a brother, and they couldn't _bear_ to watch the two brothers fight, and blah blah blah, and blah.

"And now you just want to quit!?"

They both shrugged their shoulders with me still mashed between them. "Well, we thought the reason would be more interesting," they chorused. I glared up at the two of them. _So this was just an elaborate scheme to dig up Chika-chan's secrets? You guys are mean._ "We thought it would be something fun, like Chika is freaked out because he thinks Honey is an alien!"

"That's just really farfetched," I huffed. "And even if it were that, what would you do to fix it?"

They both shrugged and lifted their hands up. "Nothing," they chorused. "There is no cure for an alien!" I pulled both their ears as punishment for being mean, and for not having a solution to their far-off theories.

Tamaki started yelling at them. "Just what do their feelings mean to you anyway!? Father will not tolerate something like this!" He looked ready to start shaking them, but then a soft, quiet voice spoke up.

"Tama-chan, it's okay," Honey smiled at us gently. "You know, I'm fine. Even if Chika-chan hates me, it's alright. All I want for him is to grow up happy and healthy," his eyes took on a faraway look, like he was looking into the distant future.

The twins stared at him blankly. "You know he's already taller than you, right?" Hikaru asked. "He's grown enough."

"You should be more worried about yourself," Kaoru said. I nodded, and then I noticed that Honey-senpai's eyes had begun to look unfocused and _really_ faraway. Plus he looked like he was ready to ascend up to heaven, or a different reality completely. _What the-?_

"Oh no, this is bad!" Tamaki yelled. "Honey-senpai is about to leave us for another world! Quick, bring him back to reality!" I stared blankly as everyone started yelling a bunch of _down-to-earth words_ (according to the sign that appeared briefly in the corner) to prevent Honey from floating away. Stuff like _fibre optics_ and _computer virus_ and _monthly rent hikes_.

The last one came from my cousin, which caused Tamaki to gasp in horror and start asking her if such things existed in real life. "Excuse me," a familiar voice spoke loudly and coldly from behind us. Chika. Oh yeah, we were right next to the dojo. "You guys are being noisy, and you're distracting the practice."

The entire Host Club winced, with the exception of Kyouya and Honey. I had not seen Mori, which was weird as he and Honey were pretty inseparable.

Chika then caught sight of the recently descended Honey-senpai. His eyes were still a bit too wide and unfocused, but at least he wasn't slowly drifting away anymore. He scowled and raised his arms into a fighting stance. "Mitsukuni, I told you not to come near me at school! Prepare yourself!" He launched himself at Honey, and the rest of us jumped back to avoid the blow meant for Honey. Apparently, even while he wasn't paying full attention, he was still capable of dodging his brother's attack.

Unfortunately, he didn't have to. "YA-SU-CHI-KA!" A hand grabbed Chika's arm while he was in mid-air and flung him away. "NO GOOFING AROUND DURING PRACTICE!"

"Chika-chan!" Honey ran to catch his brother by placing Usa-chan where he hoped Chika would land. "Bun-Bun cushion!" _Aw, that's so adorable!_

Chika apparently didn't think so, because he managed to kick Honey away from him while screaming "NO! KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" really loudly. At least Honey landed alright. He stood up and stared at his brother silently, but there was pain in his eyes. "I can't handle it," Chika was shaking. I suddenly felt a bit sorry for him. He was obviously confused about _something_. "To be honest, my brother seems like an alien to me..."

I sweatdropped at that sudden revelation. _The hell?_ Behind me, the twins did a high-five and I turned to stare at them. "I don't want to believe it, but you were both right." _Ouran is filled with really strange people with really strange family issues._

"WHAT, DOESN'T IT BOTHER YOU?" Chika screamed, looked a bit like he'd cracked and everything was pouring out. "EVERY NIGHT, AFTER DINNER, THAT GUY EATS THREE CAKES. THREE WHOLE CAKES!" We stared at Chika silently, and then turned to stare at Honey. _Oh, so that's how he lives at home huh. It's not just during club hours._ "And then one night, I woke up and saw light in the dining room. HE WAS DEVOURING A BUNCH OF CAKES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! YOU THINK THAT'S CUTE, HUH? DO YOU?"

_Whoa, Chika, calm down._ It was strange, I had to give him that. "Why is it that everything he's saying is starting to sound right?" Haruhi commented. "I don't think I'd have the courage to live with him either."

"AND ANOTHER THING: WHAT IS BUN-BUN? WHAT IS IT? WHY DOES IT WANT CAKE? IS IT A RADIO RECEIVER? DOES HE USE IT TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER ALIENS? HUH? SOMEONE TELL ME!"

_Yep, he's cracked. He's lost it entirely._ We stood there and let him yell and freak out because if we didn't, he might have hit us.

"TO LOOK LIKE THAT GUY IS TERRIBLE ENOUGH ALREADY, BUT NOW PEOPLE WANT ME TO ACT LIKE HIM? WHY WOULD I DO THAT? TO SMILE AND COO AND HAVE FLOWERS BOMBARD ME EVERYWHERE I GO? DO YOU KNOW HOW THE KARATE CLUB REWARDED HIM ONCE? WITH AN ICE CREAM! THE GREAT HANINOZUKA DOES FAVOURS FOR ICE CREAM!"

_Why not? Ice cream is pretty great. _I decided to speak up. "Okay, I think it's time for him to calm down…"

Satoshi quickly grabbed Chika by his arms so that he wouldn't do anything dangerous and placed his glasses on his face. I hadn't even noticed that they had fallen off in the earlier scuffle. One of the lenses was now cracked, but Chika didn't seem to mind.

Almost instantly, the younger Haninozuka calmed down and stopped struggling. He straightened his glasses and cleared his throat, which probably felt raw from all the screaming. I suddenly realised that the twins were cowering behind me and I patted both of them on the head.

"Anyhow," Chika said. "I wear my glasses to avoid losing my cool whenever my brother appears."

"So that you don't look like him?" Tamaki guessed.

Chika shook his head. "No. They're prescription glasses so that whenever I look at my brother, he's blurred out."

I blinked and my expression became blank. "You do realise that's really dangerous, right?" So he just wandered around half-blind all the time? That was a bit much…

Satoshi looked contemplative for a moment, and then he scoffed. "You tell me this story all the time, and it's no big deal," he shrugged. "You're being too neurotic. If I put my mind to it, I bet I could eat two whole cakes. They aren't that sweet anyway."

"SHUT UP, YOU HAVE NO TASTE BUDS!" Chika yelled at him.

Kyouya hummed and spoke his first words since we'd come downstairs. "In addition to everything he said, the person closest to him is also quite insensitive," he commented.

"He must have felt so sad and alone," Tamaki suddenly whipped out a handkerchief and began to dab at his eyes. Haruhi and I sweatdropped and rolled our eyes.

Chika sighed and looked away. "Even so," his voice was calmer now, even softer than his normal tone. "There was once a time when we were very close. Sure he might have liked sweets and cute things more than the average person, but then at some point he began to shun those things altogether."

_Why is this beginning to sound so familiar? _That had to be around the time when Honey-senpai's father told him he become stronger and stuff.

"But then someone told him some wrong information," Chika's tone turned slightly bitter. "Something about how true strength was being able to accept yourself." _Ah, well then..._ "And then all hell broke loose and he turned into the alien you now see."

The twins turned to stare at a rather stunned Tamaki. "Ah, I see," they chorused in low voices. "So they've both been suffering because of what the lord said, right?" _I don't like to think so, because Tamaki's advice did sound pretty good (but really, Honey should learn to eat in moderation), but it really seems that way._

"Come to think of it, what did the twins say?" Kyouya put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Something about there not being any solution for a problem like this?"

"There is a solution," a deep voice spoke up. Wow, people were just appearing left right and centre. First Honey, then Chika, and now Mori-senpai. Where had he been anyway? He placed a hand on Honey's shoulder. "Right, Mitsukuni?"

Honey stared up at his cousin, and then turned to face his brother. He hadn't said a word throughout Chika's rant. "Chika-chan, I'm so sorry for all of this. I didn't know you hated cakes and sweets that much!"

"He's missed the point entirely," Haruhi muttered.

Honey smiled at the ground. "I'm very grateful for what Tamaki and the Host Club did for me, and even if I were to change and live the way you want me to, things would still be awkward between the two of us." That was true. Chika would be nervous, and Honey would be resentful. "I'm not going to change for you, or anyone else," he looked his brother dead in the eye, and his expression became completely serious. "So let's settle this once and for all, like Haninozuka men."

oOo

Apparently Haninozuka men duelled to the death (or close to that) in order to settle matters. Haruhi and I suddenly found ourselves on a wide open plane with no one else in sight. I sweatdropped and looked around the wide field of grass. "Um…where the heck are we?"

Haruhi sweatdropped as well and we both turned to stare at the other Host Club members, who didn't seem as confused as we were. "Was there always a windswept ridge like this at the academy?"

We didn't get an answer, because everyone's eyes were fixed on the two males standing several feet apart and glaring at each other across the grassy plain. "Alright, Chika-chan," Honey spoke. "First one to score a decision wins."

Chika stared back at his brother unflinchingly. "And if I win?"

Honey's eyes narrowed. "If you win, I'll stop eating cakes in the middle of the night." _Once again, he has completely bypassed the whole point._ Well, I guess for Honey that was a pretty big deal. What made me want to facepalm was that Chika was completely fine with just that.

_I guess that freaked him out more than anything else. _Mori-senpai was to act as the referee for the fight, seeing as he was the only one with enough experience for something like that. "Ready? Then begin!"

Honey attacked first with a flying kick, which Chika dodged, and then proceeded to launch a flurry of punches, which Chika also dodged, and then he pulled out a staff from behind his back.

My eyes narrowed. "Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this all seem really familiar?"

Tamaki nodded. "Isn't this the same flow as the fight the two had in the club room? Well," he amended. "Maybe in reverse..."

Mori nodded. "This is probably intentional on Mitsukuni's part," he said. "What will likely happen next is that Yasuchika will throw shurikens."

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Chika jumped into the air and threw several shurikens at his brother, but Honey deflected them with the staff. My eyes widened in shock. "Wow, you were right!" The twins yelled. _But where the hell were the two of them storing those blades? Like I said: isn't there a rule against carrying sharp knives around in school?_

"I have watched the two of them battle for many years," Mori said. _Wow, he's talking a lot more than usual._ "Yasuchika will always use Mitsukuni's moves from the preceding match. Mitsukuni is aware of this, and will always create an opportunity for Yasuchika to test out new techniques."

The entire Host Club was staring at Mori-senpai now. He had never spoken so much in one go before, so when he did speak, we tended to pay attention.

"Even though Yasuchika may call him an alien," Mori-senpai shrugged slightly. "It's clear that he respects Mitsukuni as a fellow martial artist and wishes to be near him. One may not see it, but they share a brotherly bond. As far as siblings go, I think they're doing fine."

Silence reigned for a moment, and then Satoshi began blubbering about how awesome his big brother was. "Wow…" I stared at Mori-senpai with quiet admiration. "That was rather beautiful," I patted him on the arm.

He smiled slightly, and then his lips straightened again. "That said, I'm not too worried about the match," he concluded. "Chances are Mitsukuni will let his brother win."

"Chika-chan, prepare yourself!" At that moment, Honey-senpai launched himself at Chika and sent the younger boy flying several feet away. "Yay, I won! Cake, cake, cake!" He started twirling around with Usa-chan. "Ah, I know! Since I won, I'll make Special Cake Night happen three times a week!"

I sweatdropped. _So, basically, cake comes before family in his mind?!_ I patted Mori-senpai, who had adopted a defeated pose on his hands and knees. "Mori-senpai, hold on!" The twins and Tamaki yelled.

Haruhi and I stared at Honey who was bouncing around with his plushie and singing cheerily. "So his love for cake is greater than his love for his brother, huh?" She echoed my thoughts.

I nodded. "That's actually pretty terrifying," I commented, and then we watched Honey walk over to his brother. Chika had been lying on the grass in a posture of complete defeat, but now he was getting up. He looked like he was trying not to cry.

Honey crouched down in front of him and smiled. "Chika-chan, you nearly got me with your first flying kick, and then with that combination move in the middle," he coached. "Chika-chan, you've gotten strong."

Chika's eyes, still slightly watery, grew wide and he stared up at his older brother. His expression was a mix of awe and happiness, but then he suddenly seemed to catch himself. He jumped to his feet. "Shut up! You're so conceited! I just let my guard down a little, that's all!"

_Thwack!_

"Don't be a sore loser!" Satoshi yelled. "Be a man and admit your defeat with grace!" _I see we're back to the head thumping thing._

"Ow, stupid Satoshi!" Chika tried to block the staff with his arms. "Stop it!" His eyes began to water even more. Without his glasses, he looked so adorable at that moment. "Stop it Satoshi! I don't like you anymore!" _He sounded like a toddler when he said that._

The appearance of tears made Satoshi feel guilty, of course. I think both Honey and Chika had more in common than they realised. "I-I wasn't really angry," he tried to apologize. "Come on, don't cry..."

The entire Host Club watched all these goings-on in silence. I think we were all very stunned at how things had turned out. Chika rubbed the tears from his eyes, and then glared at Honey and the rest of us over his shoulder. "Just remember this Mitsukuni!" He yelled. "Next time, I'll definitely defeat you, no matter what! I'll drag you back down to earth!"

_And the moment's gone again._ We all watched in silence as Chika took off running in the direction of the dojo, with Satoshi in hot pursuit waving his staff and screaming at him to '_show respect_'.

I was the first to speak. "Well this has been a really strange day," I quipped. The twins nodded simultaneously and leaned on my shoulders. "Why do I also feel like this whole _Honey-senpai-might-be-an-alien_ theory will never truly go away?"

_Still, _I smiled slightly and turned to stare at Honey-senpai contemplatively. _If this is who Honey-senpai really is, then it's pretty foolish to try and force him to be something he isn't._

_But seriously, _I sighed as he continued to sing about cakes and having midnight snacks every night for the foreseeable future. _He really does need to exercise more restraint._


	36. Chapter 36

**This ended up as a half filler/half actual chapter sort of thing. Sorry for the long wait everyone, but I got way too carried away with my Black Butler, especially since I found out about the new arc. Still, I promise not to leave you guys like that again!**

**Thank you for all the sweet reviews I got! I don't own Ouran High School Host Club at all!**

**This is Halloween**

October had loomed, autumn was clearly at its peak this time. I could feel the way the wind swirled my hair about my face and tossed the leaves to and fro. It was still warm, but there was still a bit of a chill to the air.

Inside the warmth of my homeroom class, I divided my attention between watching the cherry blossom leaves drift to the ground in lazy brown and gold twirls, and paying attention to the class meeting currently happening. Seeing as the term was drawing to an end, class meetings had begun to occur more frequently. I think it was just a ploy to keep us out of the way of our teachers, but whatever.

At the moment, we were debating on something, but I hadn't been paying enough attention to hear exactly what it was. I only snapped back to attention when the subject was changed. "I would like for us to discuss the special activity we should do for next week."

Our class representative was a bit of a wimp, as far as I could see, but he was very methodical and fair. He was a good class representative, as far as they go, and people tended to listen to him most of the time because he tended to know what he was talking about.

Haruhi tilted her head to the side, as confused as I was. "Activity?"

"For Halloween," Hikaru explained helpfully. I blinked, remembering that the day was only a week away. It fell on a Saturday, but I guessed the school had opted to have their own celebration on the Friday before it.

Kurakano Momoka, our vice-president with a crush on Haruhi (honestly, it had been a year, how had more people not figured it out yet?) was a bit more helpful with her explanation. "Haruhi-kun, Kyoko-chan, you only came in as special students after middle school so you probably won't know about this."

Apparently, at Ouran, while the teachers were off grading papers and compiling reports, the students were given break until the end of October during which they were allowed to have plays and masquerades on the school grounds, and basically do anything they wanted as long as it was school approved.

Our class rep nodded. "Furthermore, in order to promote class bonding," he added. "We are also allowed to use an entire day for a class event."

"A class event, huh?" I murmured, and then blinked when Kaoru leaned over.

"Well, most of the time..."

"...we just have tea parties," Hikaru finished. "Or watch movies."

At that moment, a wild Renge appeared out of nowhere (and I mean that literally. I have no idea when she entered the room) and landed on one of the tables. "Not enough! Not enough! _Not enough, I say!_" I stared, as dumbfounded as anyone else in the room, as she posed on the desk like it was a stage.

_Well, at least she didn't do the whole high-powered-motor thing._

The hardcore otaku posed, as I said, and placed her hands to her chest. "Halloween, a day that declares the end of summer and the beginning of winter! Halloween, a day that humans take on the disguise and appearance of visiting ghouls and devils! Halloween, a day that has become a festival of costumes and tricks!"

I blinked and folded my arms across my chest. "Well someone's excited," I commented. "Although I'm not sure why..."

"Even without being given permission for costume parties..." Hikaru leaned an arm on my shoulder.

"...there's someone who was cosplaying all this time," Kaoru rested an arm on my other shoulder.

Haruhi nodded in agreement, and then blinked at the uniform Renge was wearing, which was definitely not the Ouran uniform. "And, what uniform is that?" She asked.

Renge beamed as though she had been waiting for her to ask that (you have to remember that she still had a bit of a thing for my cousin) and twirled around on the table, striking numerous poses as though she was on a stage and not a school desk. "This is nothing to keep secret!" She replied. "Due out next year, this is UkiDoki Memorial 2's uniform for female characters!" She smiled smugly. "In before released information, I went ahead and made this outfit."

We sweatdropped at that. "Houshakuji-san," our class rep snapped. "We're still in the middle of our homeroom session. Please get off that desk."

Renge, as usual, did not listen. "Cosplaying and tea parties," she waved a hand dismissively. "We do that all the time at the Host Club! What is Halloween if the excitement does not exceed our daily activities, right?"

"Well, this is our class event..."

She grinned widely and suddenly manifested a microphone in her hand. "Which is why I am proposing the Halloween Special Fear Trial Tournament to you all!"

There was a surprised silence for a second, during which the only person who didn't look excited by the suggested game was our class representative, who kind of looked like someone had dropped some ice down his back and then forbidden him from moving. The twins, on the other hand...

"Halloween Special..."

"...Fear Trial Tournament?"

Well, they looked far too happy with the proposal. Renge nodded. "We'll ask the superintendent to open the school halls at night, then we'll take turns trying to scare each other! And that, my friends, is a very UkiDoki communication!" _No, it really isn't._

"Great! Great idea!" The twins squished me between them in their excitement, and then pasted creepy grins on their faces. "I absolutely love the school at night."

It wasn't just them, everyone else seemed to be genuinely interested in the plan. I had to admit, it did sound fun. The only person _not_ excited was our class rep, who still looked like he was slowly shrinking and losing all colour. "W-wouldn't doing it one by one be inefficient?" He stuttered. "We must consider the allocation of time as well! Let's do it in groups!" _In other words, you don't want to be alone._ Poor guy...

The twins were merciless. "For those who chicken out before the end..." Hikaru grinned.

"...we'll take a whole page in the school newspaper and name them _Minister of Cowards!_"

The calls of agreement from the whole class was unanimous, sort of, Haruhi and I didn't care enough to say anything, but it was still pretty much a whopping majority anyway. _Poor guy..._

After some more shrinking and sweating, Souga (that was the name of our class representative) suddenly regained all colour and composure and pushed his glasses a bit high up the bridge of his nose. "Well then," he said. "In the presence of this highly lopsided majority, is there anyone against this majority?" As he said this, he seemed to be looking right at us. And, by us, I mean Haruhi and me.

_What are you looking at me for? _I wondered. _Do you see the people I am squashed between?_ Also, this whole Halloween Fear Trial thing sounded like way more fun than a tea party and a movie.

"Is there _anyone_ against this?" I dropped my gaze and pretended to find my desk incredibly fascinating. "Is there _really no one_ against this?" _I'm really sorry about this._ Finally, he wilted in defeat. "Well then, the class event for 1-A will be the proposal from Houshakuji-san: the Halloween Special Fear Trial."

Cheers and whoops of excitement rose into the air, and I couldn't help smiling a bit at how pleased the twins seemed.

oOo

I released a loud exhale from my lips and eyed the twins warily. "I don't get it," I muttered, even as I grabbed the dress from Hikaru and held it up for inspection. "We aren't even going to be around for any club meetings for the rest of the week." Due to the whole class bonding thing, everyone in our class had the week off from clubs. We were to spend that time preparing for our club activity. "Why do we need costumes?"

The Host Club had decided to be vampires for the Halloween week, and they had really done really well with the costumes and props for setting the mood.

The twins had donned their own costumes, which matched entirely apart from the ribbon at their necks: Hikaru's was blue, while Kaoru's was orange. They both looked very good, and the fake fangs sticking out of the corner of their lips lent them a bit of a feral look. Their appearance, coupled with the old-fashioned and aristocratic clothing made a fantastic combination.

Hikaru tweaked at his neck-tie, apparently unable to do it properly. "Even so, Kyouya-senpai wanted pictures for the Host Club Annual," he replied.

_We have that?_ I rolled my eyes and eyed the dress again. Without wearing it, I couldn't exactly see how it would fit, but it looked like it would be a bit of a tight fit. The fabric was smooth to touch, and the dress was white. The bottom from the knees was lacy, however, and there was a slit going up the side.

Wearing it in the privacy of the changing room, I could see exactly what it looked like. I was right though, it was a tight fit, and I looked very much like some innocent medieval maiden. The dress had no shoulders, and the sleeves were long and flared. "And what am I supposed to be?" I asked when I marched back into the room.

"According to Kyouya-senpai," Hikaru pulled me closer and cupped the side of my face, bringing his face entirely too close to my own. "You're supposed to be a fair maiden caught in a love triangle between two vampires." _Ah, well then..._

Kaoru was suddenly behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist and his mouth a few inches from my neck. "Doesn't that sound appropriate? You smell really good."

I choked, because I still had yet to get used to how casually they gave me compliments. Suddenly, the door of the classroom opened and Renge poked her head in. Her face split into a wide smirk when she spotted our current position. I have no idea how the twins managed to keep such straight faces during all of that, when my face was entirely red.

"I see you're getting into your roles," she giggled. "Kyoko, have you seen the storyline for the pictures?"

"Storyline?" I gracefully squirmed my way out of the twin's grip and made my way towards Renge. She nodded and pulled out a sheaf of papers from the folder she was carrying. It sometimes amused me how official she became when it had to do with the Host Club. "Why is there a story anyway?"

Hikaru and Kaoru suddenly crowded against me, one on each side, and peered at the papers. "Ooh, what's it like?" They both asked. I shrugged and began to read.

oOo

_The town of Ouran, once a bright and cheerful home to many, was now but a shadow of its past. Ever since They had come, the town had seemed to become shrouded in the darkness that They carried. No one dared to speak of Them out loud, but whispers an rumours twisted through the streets like black vines._

_Every two years, a woman was sent to the castle where They lived to be a tribute. If not, They would come down and destroy everything that the people held dear. This terrible act had become tradition, with names being placed into a basket, and then picked out by the leader. _

_Those that could leave the town left, but it was unsure if they ever truly made it out of the thick forests surrounding the town. Those that had daughters wept and prayed as the two year mark came closer, and those that didn't comforted them in public, and rejoiced in secret. It is certain that this curse would have gone on for a long time, if not for a certain woman._

The day had arrived. The night sky was clear, the air crisp, and the moon full. The girls of the village huddled closer to their families, small groups praying fervently so that the silence was only suffused by the frantic whispers.

Kyoko hooked her arm through her cousin's, simultaneously giving and seeking comfort. The two were as close as sisters, having cared for one another all their lives. Kyoko considered herself Haruhi's protector in many ways, and was always there for her cousin. In the same way, Haruhi acted as a calming presence for her occasionally hot-headed cousin.

Haruhi's father, Ryouji, wrapped his arms around them and watched as the leader came forward with the basket of names. The praying intensified, the silence broken now by moans and quiet whimpers. The basket was set down on the grass before the crowd. The speech that was recited every time was ingrained in all their memories; words of the curse, of the creatures that trapped them, of how sorry that this had to happen, but that sacrifices had to be made.

Haruhi's fingers tightened on his cousin's elbow as the leader reached a hand into the basket and drew out a slip of paper. He unfurled it slowly, and looked up at the crowd. "Daichi Kyoko."

_It had been a painful goodbye, but it had to be done. She was given a pack of food to last her until she made it to the castle, as well as some water. The trek was only a few hours long, but Kyoko hurried along. With every step, her anger and determination grew, and she made up her mind that she would not end up the same as the last few women._

_The castle loomed above her, all dark, crumbling stone and thick ivy. Scarlet red flowers grew interspersed between the green vines the worked their way between the cracks in the stonework. The door was of thick mahogany, with heavy brass knockers. Swallowing down her fear and bracing herself, Kyoko reached for the door._

She could hear the sound echoing through the castle. The night wind blew, and she raised her hands to rub some warmth into her skin. After a moment, when no one came to answer, she frowned and knocked again. _Is no one there?_

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the door creaked open slowly. Beyond the wooden portal was darkness beckoning her inside. Kyoko glanced back at the lights of her town in the distance, and thought of her cousin. Then, steeling herself, she marched into the castle, ignoring the way the door slammed shut behind her.

The second she was inside, the fireplace flared to life, illuminating two chairs set in front of it. The chairs were facing her, but the fire behind them cast shadows over the front. In spite of that, she could tell that there were people sitting in them. "Hmm?" Someone hummed. The voice was deep, and had a slight echo to it , although she attributed that to the emptiness of the castle. "This one came earlier that we expected, Kaoru."

"You're right, Hikaru." This was voice was softer, and slightly higher in pitch than the other, but no less malicious. "Was she so excited to die?"

Kyoko could feel herself trembling, but she forced her voice not to do the same. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Their voices blended together perfectly, so that she couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. "But...you do smell very nice. Much nicer than the others." Now they sounded thoughtful, and faintly amused. "Maybe we'll keep you."

_Keep me? _"You never answered my question," she folded her arms across her chest, a defensive posture. "Who are you people?"

There was silence for a moment, and then candles began to light up on the walls and tables, until the whole room was awash with light. Kyoko felt her eyes widen in shock at what she saw.

Two men, twins to be exact, sat in the chairs. They both had orange-red hair, and hazel eyes that looked almost golden in the candlelight. They were both beautiful, graceful, dazzling. They smirked, and her eyes fell on the too-sharp canines protruding from their lips. _Vampyre._ "Oh, she's a beauty, isn't she Kaoru?" The one on the left spoke, the one with the deeper voice. _Hikaru._

"What's your name, kitten?" The one on the right cocked his head to the side. The one with the softer voice. _Kaoru._

She told them her name quietly. "Daichi Kyoko," she said. "What do you plan to do to me?"

In a flash, Hikaru was suddenly in front of her. He had moved faster than she could follow, and his hand cupped her cheek to tilt it upwards. "How cute, you're scared."

Arms wrapped around her waist from behind, surprising her. When had he made his way behind her? "Don't worry, we won't hurt you," Kaoru murmured into her ear. "Unless you guess wrong."

Kyoko wondered why her heart was beating so hard, and why the feeling in her chest did not feel entirely like fear. "Guess wrong?" She echoed nervously. "What do I have to guess?"

_She does smell sweet,_ the twins grinned, revealing sharp canines. "You will stay with us for a month," they told her simultaneously. "In that month, if you cannot tell us who is who correctly, then we will take your soul."

The woman froze in their arms, and swallowed back the fear now brewing in her throat. "And...and if I guess correctly?" She wondered. The vampires shared a look over her head, and their laughter was sad a mix of amusement, disbelief and pain.

_She was shown to her room, which was right next to theirs, separated only by a single door. There were clothes in the wardrobes, long robes with semi-low necklines and tightly fitted bodices. Since she had no other clothes, it was either those or nothing at all. _

_Being vampires, they needed blood to survive. The first time they took hers was something she didn't think she would ever forget. Having been expecting pain, she was shocked at the feeling of pleasure that coursed through her as they both fed from her. It was odd, and confused her no end, especially when they both kissed her at the end._

_Her feelings for them changed during those days. From fear, she became curious about them. From that curiosity grew affection. Although mean at times, they both seemed rather lonely. They only had each other in the whole world._

_The month passed by faster than she thought it would. The night before the last night, she awoke to find three roses on her pillow. One was blue, one was orange, and one was a rose so red it was almost black._

The day dawned bright. The castle, she had come to realise, did not look nearly as dreary in the sunlight as it did at night. She had awoken to find a letter on her pillow, as well as the roses, ordering her to come to the front room.

Kyoko bathed and dressed quickly, before hurrying down. The twins were already there. Their eyes were sad, cold, and they eyed her with something akin to sadness instead of their usual smirks. "The month is over," one twin spoke.

"You must guess now," the other twin said.

"Now," they both spoke together. "Tell us, Kyoko, which one of us is Hikaru and which one is Kaoru?"

Kyoko hesitated for only a second, before pointing. "You are Hikaru," she said. "And you are Kaoru."

Their eyes widened briefly, and then narrowed. "How do you know?" Hikaru asked. This was the part that tripped all others up. It was easy to guess who was who, after all there were only two of them, so there was always a fifty-fifty chance that someone would be able to guess. "What proof do you have?"

The woman in front of them, however, did not hesitate. "Kaoru's voice is softer than yours," she started. "Also, you tend to be louder and much more brash." There were more differences, but those were the ones that she chose to say. "I'm right, am I not?"

_Stunned silence reigned for a while as the twins glanced at one another. They were confused, surprised, but mostly they were happy. No one had ever been able to tell them apart throughout the years that they had existed. For this lovely little maiden to be able to tell them apart pleased them in more ways than one._

_They sent her back to her room with barely a word, and Kyoko wondered if she had displeased them in some way. Still, there had to be a reward for guessing correctly, right? What would it be? Riches? He freedom? She frowned at that. For as much as she missed her family, she did not wish to leave them._

_It wasn't until she was awoken in the night by the sensation of someone's lips by her ear, did she realise exactly what her reward might be._

"Kyoko?" The voice was easy to recognise as Hikaru's. "Kitten, wake up." Now two voices blended together. She felt warm lips by her ear, and the feel of warm air blowing against her skin was rousing her into wakefulness.

Something shifted on the bed by her left side. "Mmm, she isn't waking up," Kaoru smiled down at the woman lying on the sheets between them. "Doesn't she want her reward?" Kyoko frowned internally, but kept her expression the same.

"We didn't tell her, did we?" Hikaru knew she was awake. Her heartbeat had changed, and her eyelids were fluttering faintly. He ran a hand over her waist and let it dip down to follow the curve of her hip. Kyoko sucked in a sharp gasp that she couldn't hide. "That her reward for guessing right..."

Kaoru leaned closer and brought his lips closer to her neck. "...was that she would be our Mate. Right, kitten?"

_The two wasted no time in covering her skin in loving kisses and bites, tearing off her clothes with wild abandon and-_

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" I scrambled backwards as far away from the paper as I could. "RENGE, WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WRITE THAT? YOU CAN'T EVEN PUBLISH IT FOR THE CLUB!"

She frowned and stared at the story, which the twins were still holding. "I can't? Really? That's a shame. It would have made for some interesting reading." _It is literally just a step down from a lemon._ "The twins seem to like it though."

"What?" I turned and stared at the twins, who were still reading the story with rapt attention. "_Stop reading that, you perverts!_"

"But kitten-!"

"NO BUTS!" I snatched the story from them and shoved it back at Renge. "Renge, get rid of that storyline. Or, at the very least change it so that it doesn't end like that. As for you two-!"

They suddenly wrapped themselves around me, much like they had earlier. "What about us, Kyoko?" Hikaru cooed. "Do you want to practice some more?" Kaoru murmured. "Or maybe," fingers brushed against my lips. "Get some hands-on experience?"

I scowled, even as Renge went down in a shower of flowers and started squealing about moe or whatnot. "You guys are such weirdoes," I exhaled loudly.


	37. Chapter 37

***nervous laughter* hey everyone, yeah sorry this took so long. Long story short: I travelled, got a new laptop, left a bunch of my documents on my old computer (which I'm pretty sure my dad has broken down into scrap metal by now), and yeah...**

**Also, I was going through my reviews, I'M SOMEONE'S SENPAI! *squeals***

**I own nothing! Consider this chapter an apology, chock full of romantic feels!**

**Halloween at Night**

It took some more screaming, but I finally managed to get the twins to hand over the paper, and then I had to scream more for Renge to agree to change the ending to something less...sexual.

The twins pouted by my sides as we walked towards the clubroom. Because of our class-bonding exercise, we wouldn't be able to come for club activities for the rest of the week. "Aw," they both whined. "You could have at least let _us_ save a copy of the original. We _liked_ the ending!" I shot them both a quick glare, and they sighed dramatically, and then grinned at each other.

"Maybe someday we'll get to do it for real..."

I twitched and a red flush overtook my cheeks. "Don't say such embarrassing things!" I yelled, and then I grabbed Haruhi's wrist and walked faster so I wouldn't have to see the matching smirks on their faces. "Damn perverts," I scowled as they laughed behind me.

My cousin blinked at me. "I feel like I'm missing something here."

"You are, and I'm not about to tell you."

The Host Club was in full swing by the time we reached the Third Music Room. The curtains had been changed to black netting, and drawn over the windows so that the room was shrouded in darkness. There were paper cut-outs of ghouls and pumpkins dangling from the ceilings and pasted to the walls. For lighting, there were candles set in cute little pumpkin stands, along with tiny glimmering lights.

I _ooh_-ed appreciatively and took in the newly remodelled music room. "They did a good job with the decor."Haruhi nodded in agreement.

The rest of the Host Club members were dressed in their costumes, and were already engaged in their groups. Tamaki looked up at us from where he was seducing one of his customers. If she minded, she gave no inkling. Actually, she seemed mildly comatose. "You guys are late," he said. "Hurry up and get changed."

"Ah, until Halloween's over..." Hikaru began.

"...we're taking a break from club activities," Kaoru finished. "Have fun~!"

Tamaki promptly released the girl in his shock, and if she was annoyed by the sudden move (which I bet she was) then I wasn't paying attention. Honey blinked up at us curiously. "How come?"

I threw an arm around Haruhi's shoulder. "We have class activities and an event on Halloween, so we need to prepare," I explained. "We're probably going to be really busy so we won't be able to do anything club-related until it's over."

The Shadow King nodded, for once his costume actually fit his personality, and snapped his notebook shut. "Since it's a class activity, it can't be helped then," he decided, more or less giving his consent. I wondered what would have happened if he'd said no. "You've already taken your pictures for the yearbook, so that's fine for now."

"So yeah, we thought we'd let you all know," the twins hooked their arms into mine and dragged us away. "See you later~!" They chorused, while Honey-senpai waved at us and wished us good luck.

Of course, the only person _not_ alright with the whole thing was Tamaki. "Wait, wait, _wait_!" He yelled after them. "Why are you taking my daughters?!" The twins stopped and blinked at him, before their faces morphed into creepy-as-hell smiles.

"Because they're in the same class as we are," Hikaru grinned widely. "Right, kitten?" _Don't bring me into this._

Kaoru poked the cheek closest to him with his own smirk. "We'll be doing a special fear trial tournament at night on campus with them."

**Tamaki's Inner Mind Midnight Theatre. **

Now, I'm not sure what went on in Tamaki's head, but he promptly dissolved into screaming, overdramatic heap and started panicking, as well as yelling a number of strange things such as: "WHAH! WHAT IF MY DAUGHTERS GET SCARED AND HUG THEM?! NOOOOOOOO!"

An arm slipped around my shoulders and Hikaru rested his chin on the top of my head. "Our kitten can hug us all she likes," he commented. "Right, Kaoru?" The twin nodded, and replied _of course_, before slipping his arm around my waist. _Please don't bring me into this._

Their actions only prompted Tamaki to panic even more, and he quickly yanked me out of their arms, along with Haruhi. "I'LL NEVER ALLOW MY DAUGHTERS TO PLAY AROUND IN THE DARK WITH YOU SUSPICIOUS TWINS!" He declared. "DADDY WON'T ALLOW IT!"

_Once again, you are not my dad. Also, it's pretty weird that you call Haruhi your daughter and yet you clearly like her._ I rolled my eyes with a sigh, and caught an odd look pass over Kaoru's face. He looked thoughtful, almost sad. I'd always known that he was the more...philosophical twin, but I never wanted his thoughts to make him sad.

Hikaru snatched me back, and the emotion disappeared from his brother's face as he latched onto my other arm. "Well, we've spent enough time here. Adieu, my lord~!" I barely had time to grab Haruhi before we were both spirited out of the room. We were only a few minutes late for our class meeting, and slipped in while they were discussing the topic of money and budgeting.

"If we allocate too much to monster costumes, we'll run out of money really fast," one of the boys commented. I crossed one leg over the other where I was perched on a table between the twins. I would have taken a chair, but I liked sitting on tables. "I propose we use the commoner rule of everything being 300 yen or less. Cheap stuff will be more interesting."

_Cheap? _I twitched when eyes turned to Haruhi and myself. _Oh my gosh, could you people stop that?_ I sighed and looked away, and then blinked when I spotted someone outside the door of the classroom: our class representative. He was gesturing at me furtively and, when I glanced at my cousin, I saw that she had noticed him as well. _I wonder what he wants._

Kaoru turned when I slipped down from the table. "Where're you going?" He asked curiously.

I shrugged and slipped past him, brushing my fingers over his shoulder as I squeezed out from between him and the table the others were sitting at. "Haruhi and I have to see someone," I gestured to my cousin and we walked out of the classroom. When we had left the room, we turned to the left and spotted our class rep beckoning us from a corner. The two of us shared a look, and then followed him and crouched in front of him. Well, Haruhi crouched. I was still wearing a short skirt, so I knelt.

_I wonder what's with him._

That soon became apparent. "Huh?" Haruhi blinked. "Class rep, you're scared of dark places?"

He sniffed pathetically. "You might also add _fear of horror movies, fear of ghost stories, fear of suddenly getting scared from behind,_ and _fear of horror movie commercials..._" I had a feeling he could have listed more. "What's with those anyway? I really do not like them airing those segments without warning. What's become of the rights of cowards?" He inched closer, looking more freaked out. "Besides, every other class is having a tea party, yet why does our class have to do a fear trial?" Closer. "It's fall already! I DON'T GET IT!"

Now he was practically screaming in our faces. I blinked at him. "Class rep, you need to calm down."

He immediately returned back to his place with an apology. Haruhi sighed. "You really should have raised your objection if you didn't like this," she pointed out. "If you'd said it as class rep everyone would've..."

"Doing it like that," he shook his head. "It would've looked like I was abusing my position, and I didn't want that!" _He's doing it again._ "That's why I was asking for help! FROM BOTH OF YOU!"

_Uh huh, right... _"You're going to need to calm down." He resumed his place once again, with another apology. "So, about those signals..." I remembered the way he'd been staring at Haruhi and myself rather pointedly that day. "Why us?"

Our class rep hung his head despondently. "I was trying to get people not so interested in the idea to object," he muttered. "If someone had objected, then we could have at least moved it to a discussion."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Haruhi smiled apologetically. "I didn't even notice," she told him, and I resisted the urge to sigh. For someone so intelligent, my cousin was frequently dense when it came to social matters. She was so oblivious sometimes it made me want to cry. Of course, I was pretty oblivious as well, but I liked to think that I wasn't as bad.

**Telepathic Powers: Zero.**

_If she wasn't so cute and smart... _"I beg of you both," he pleaded. "Join in my group tomorrow!" _And he's doing it again._ "Somehow, I feel like if I could be beside you both, YOUR CALMNESS WOULD RUB OFF ON ME TOO!" _Why does he keep doing that? _I sighed and he froze and lowered his voice. "And please keep this a secret from Hikaru and Kaoru," he begged.

The second he spoke, two shapes materialized beside him. "Hmm?" The twins grinned. They had been sporting a number of creepy grins ever since the whole fear trial thing was proposed. "Class rep, you're a coward?"

Silence for a second, and then he promptly leaped up and began clawing at the window and wall above us while screaming like a man trapped in his worst nightmare, which he sort of was. I sighed and glared at the twins, while they gave me innocent looks. Before I could open my mouth to admonish them adequately for taunting our class representative, his 2nd in command appeared.

"Oh, there you guys are!" She grinned and held up her clipboard. "I'm asking around for your groups!"

The twins didn't even waste a moment. "Okay, put the five of us as a group!" I blinked bemusedly from where Hikaru's arm was around my shoulders as we were pencilled in as team B. The second she left, they grinned at him like a pair of mischievous gremlins. "Let's do our best, class rep~."

I could almost _hear_ his soul shattering. Haruhi glanced up at him sympathetically. "I feel sorry for you," she muttered, while I sighed and hoped that I could actually make sure that the twins didn't scar him too badly.

oOo

_Come on!_ I strained higher, higher, and then winced when I felt something in my arm crack. _Ow. Dammit, why do I have to be so short? _I glared at the pumpkin lantern in my hand, and then at the hook it was supposed to go on high up on the wall. _Damn genetics..._

I'd already torn my skirt earlier trying to use the stepladder (don't ask), and I'd had to borrow Haruhi's sewing kit (yes, my super androgynous cousin has a sewing kit) to stitch it back up. "Kyoko?" I blinked and turned to stare at Kaoru. He was smiling amusedly, eyes flickering between me and the orange paper pumpkin. "Why do you look like you're trying to set the decoration on fire with your mind?"

I scowled and huffed. "Maybe I am," I replied. "Actually, I was trying to put it up on the wall but I'm too short and I can't reach! Dammit!" I scowled down at myself, and then blinked then Kaoru poked my forehead with a finger. I couldn't help crossing my eyes to try and catch a glimpse of his finger, and he laughed. "What's so funny?"

He smirked and poked my nose this time, causing me to wrinkle said appendage. "You are. You're cute," he laughed when I flushed and gaped at him. "Here, let me." So saying, he neatly plucked the ornament from my hands and hung it up on the designated hook.

"Dammit," I huffed and turned to grab the box of other handmade decorations that I had to put up. "I wish I was taller. Do you know how difficult it is being short?"

Kaoru laughed and pinched my cheek. "I think you're pretty cute the way you are now," he commented, and I flushed again. Honestly, it doesn't take much to get me to blush. I peered up at him and noted a faint pink flush along the top of his cheeks. _Aw! Which reminds me..._

We turned a corner, and I paused beside one of the corridor windows. "Hey, Kaoru," I fumbled in the box until I pulled out a bunch of large, easy to remove stickers. "What were you thinking about earlier?" At his confused expression, I clarified. "You know, while we went to the Host Club. You looked upset for a moment," I lowered the stickers and gazed up at him worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

For a few seconds, he didn't say anything, and then he shrugged and looked away. "Don't worry about it," he muttered. "It's silly."

I frowned. "No it's not," I argued adamantly. "If it upset you, then it can't be. And even if it is, I want to hear it anyway. You can tell me anything," I grabbed his hand in mine to punctuate the point. "I want to hear it."

Kaoru blinked once, twice, his eyes wide and surprised, and then he smiled and ran a hand over my cheek. "Cute," he repeated for the third-or-so time. "I was just thinking about how all of this, the whole Host Club, is just something crafted from a dream. I mean, Tamaki calls you and Haruhi his daughters, and refers to us as his family, and while we're all here it's true. Still, what happens when we leave? What happens when some of us get left behind?"

_...shit that was deep._ It surprised me sometimes, how in these moments, Kaoru looked more like himself than anything. His eyes were soft, vague yet sharp, seeing far beyond what others did. I wanted to lean up and kiss his forehead, but I was too shy and too short.

I'm not sure how long I stared at him, but he suddenly flushed and averted his eyes. "I told you it was stupid," he murmured nervously.

"It's not," I blurted. "I mean..." I smiled and squeezed his fingers. "I understand what you mean. Everything. It's scary when things change, and the thought of being left behind is terrifying," I thought back to the time when Hikaru abandoned me and left me alone in Karuizawa. "But you'll never be alone. I won't let you."

He stared at me silently, his eyes searching mine, and then he smiled softly and pulled me forward to kiss my forehead and muffle his words in my hair. "Alright."

oOo

Decorating and planning for Halloween had been so much fun. By the time the Fear Trial rolled around, I was a bit too excited to fully concentrate on our class rep. With the cover of darkness, and the golden glow of the pumpkin lamps we'd hung up, the school looked mysterious and much more exciting.

Therefore, I was only half-listening to the twin's ghost story. However, I could pretty much feel the agony rolling off our class rep in waves. "Did you know, Kaoru?" Hikaru deliberately made his voice deeper and more mysterious. "About the evil witch of the clock tower?"

"Yeah," Kaoru smirked back. "Long ago, on Halloween, a girl that had disguised herself as a witch fell from the clock tower. Ever since then, those who see her silhouette on Halloween _end up cursed!_"

The class rep screamed, and I sighed at the twins. "Must you do that?" I scolded them. "Don't tease him. Besides, what's the point in scaring your own team member anyway?"

They frowned and shrugged. "But no one's here yet and we're bored," they chorused.

"No excuses," I snapped back, hands on my hips. "We're supposed to scare _others. _It's not his fault he's scared. Be nice! Haruhi!"

My cousin promptly grabbed the soul of our class rep, which had been dangerously close to ascending to Heaven, and flung it back into him. "Class rep, get a grip!" She turned to him with a kind smile. "Don't worry, look!" She held up a huge, tatty book that looked like it would be at home in a museum, or any number of haunted places. "I borrowed this book of _108 Ways to Get Through Scary Situations_!"

_Where did you get that?_ I wondered. It looked like she'd stolen it from a mummy's tomb.

She flipped it open, and I'm pretty sure I saw mould on one of the pages. "Let's see," she cracked it open and I arched an eyebrow at the dust cloud that escaped. "Number one: _endure it and it'll all be over eventually. _Number two: _Chant 'away ghost' ten times. _Number three-"

The other suggestions were equally as useful, and they went on until our class rep cracked and begged her to stop. "STRATEGIES LIKE THAT DON'T SOLVE ANYTHING! I WANT TO GO HOME! CALL ME MINISTER OF COWARDS, I DON'T CARE, JUST LET ME LEAVE!" And with that, he collapsed, and his soul began to rise out of his body again.

"Poor guy," I tutted. "On another note, someone should really grab that." His soul was almost to the ceiling now.

The twins snickered at him. "Are you sure?" Hikaru wondered. "Would you want your dearest princess Kurakano to laugh at you?"

Both he and his soul froze, and then the spirit flew back into him. The smile and blush that appeared on his face was boyishly cute. "Oh, class rep, you like Kurakano-san?" Haruhi asked. His face flamed and be began stuttering denials, until the twins interrupted him with matching smirks on their faces.

"Yeah, yeah, we know," they said. "Although you said that you agreed to this event because you didn't want to abuse your powers, the truth is that you really just didn't want Kurakano to see you as a coward."

The embarrassed flush disappeared from his face, and he looked away. "No," he mumbled. "That isn't why I could object," he looked shy, but very earnest even as he hid the lower part of his face in his arms. "Kurakano-san...really seemed to be looking forward to this fear trial, and I didn't want to ruin it for her..."

_...shit, he's adorable._ I left the twins flailing in their sudden inability to be mean to this newly-revealed, super-pure individual. "You're a good person," I smiled. "Which is why we definitely have more reason to help you." At that moment, I saw a shadow pass in my peripheral vision, and I blinked. "What the...?"

Haruhi twitched. "Is it just me, or did I just see a white shadow pass by the window?" _It's not just you._ I tried to calm myself down by repeating, internally, that there were no such things as ghosts and as long as I didn't suddenly spot a mirror, then I'd be fine.

What? Mirrors are freaking terrifying at night. There aren't many horror movies in which mirrors are just mirrors.

Besides, I said _Bloody Mary_ into a mirror a couple of years ago and I'm still sort of wary of the fact that she might suddenly appear while I'm brushing my teeth at night and drag me into an abyss.

Suddenly, there was a clatter at the top of the staircase, and we peered over the handrail. Something was falling towards us, something white and uneven that bounced oddly before coming to a stop right at the bottom of the stairs: a skull. Everyone screamed, apart from me. Even Haruhi freaked out, and I really expected more from her.

Even though I didn't scream, I did feel a bit nervous. Swallowing it down, I carefully picked up the skull by its jaws and peered into the eye sockets.

"Th-This is foul play from team A," Hikaru complained from behind me. "It isn't their turn yet! Follow the rules, dammit!" He snatched the skull from me and kicked it back up the stairs with startling accuracy, to the applause of his brother and myself.

A second passed, and then we heard footsteps from above. A figure dressed in white appeared, with long, sleek black hair that covered her face entirely. _Oh, please don't tell me that's supposed to be who I think it is. _"Ouch," it mumbled hollowly. "Ouch," the spectre paused and appeared to be staring at us through its film of dark, wet hair. Outside, the bell of the clock tower chimed. "Why did you kick _my skull?_"

My teammates screamed, and I'll admit that even I was a bit terrified. However, I did not scream, and I would definitely not have run had Hikaru not grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. For crying out loud, I had read that terrifying Korean comic. Unless that creepy spectre could run at me at breakneck speed, with her head upside down, and on all fours, then I really wasn't about to panic.

However, I doubt any of the twins had seen that particular internet comic. At some point, we must have gotten separated in our rush to escape because soon it was just Hikaru and I in the corridor. We turned a corner, and I suddenly tripped over a length of rope that had been carefully strung across the corridor.

Before either of us could react, we were yanked up and trapped in a woven net. "Ow," I muttered dizzily, trying to stabilize myself. "What the hell?"

Hikaru groaned beneath me, and then he froze. "Um...Kyoko?" I blinked and then glanced down at him, and then I flushed. Somehow, when we'd fallen into the net, our legs had become tangled together. My face was only a few inches from his own, and I was more or less straddling his waist.

_Hello awkward situation, nice to meet you._ I squeaked and tried to move backwards, only to become more tangled. "I'm sorry, am I hurting you?" I braced myself against the unstable netting.

He shook his head. "No," he murmured, shifting slightly underneath me. "Honestly, what are we, game animals?"

I giggled in spite of myself, and tried to find a comfortable position to balance myself. "This seems like overkill though," I replied. "I hope no one else is trapped like this." That seemed to set something off in Hikaru, because he suddenly began flailing and yelling for Kaoru. "Whoa, whoa, _whoa!_" I grabbed his face, balancing as best as I could on my knees (which also brought our bodies closer together. I sent up a prayer of thanks that I'd worn tights that day). "Relax!" I told him sternly. "Kaoru's fine. First, let's focus on getting out of here, okay?"

Hikaru flushed, but nodded mutely. "You're too close," he muttered quietly.

"Nothing I can do about that," I replied, studying the ropes. "I borrowed Haruhi's sewing kit, maybe I'll be able to cut through the ropes."

He snickered at that. "So even Haruhi has girl-like aspects?"

I shot him a mock glare, and fished out the small box and even smaller scissors. "Well she _is_ a girl," I replied. "Don't be rude to my cousin," I slipped the box back into my pocket and flushed slightly. "Alright, this might get weird and mildly uncomfortable, but please bear with it."

"What?" I didn't answer him, but simply rose up on my knees and leaned right over him to reach for the net. "Kyoko?!" He grabbed my waist as though to steady me. _I said bear with it! There's no other easy way to cut the net!_

Luckily, while small, the sewing scissors were rather sharp, and the rope wasn't all that strong. "Are you alright?" I asked after a few moments of silence, the only sound being the steady snip of the scissors. "I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you."

He grunted and shifted again, bringing his face closer to my chest. "It's not. I'm fine," he replied. "I should be asking you that though," the hands at my waist moved to allow his arms to wrap fully around my waist.

I tensed and stopped cutting for a moment. "What are you doing?" I hissed, and gasped when he pulled me closer and buried his face in my neck. "Hikaru?" I wondered

"You're the only person I care for, apart from Kaoru," he mumbled, his lips brushing lightly against my neck. "Let's always be together."

_Let's always be together. _Kaoru's words came back to me. While he feared being left behind, his twin feared being left altogether. I ran a hand through his hair and brought his face up to face mine. "Let's get out this net and go find Kaoru and everyone else," I told him. "Alright?"

Like his twin, his eyes searched mine silently, and then resolve seemed to settle in them. I blinked and parted my lips to ask what was wrong, but I never got to, because I found out a second later.

Hikaru leaned forward suddenly and covered my lips with his own.


	38. Chapter 39

**So I counted out the scores and...I'm not going to tell you which pairing won. I'll let you figure it out either in this chapter, or the next. To set your minds at ease, I'm pretty sure I can write this story well either way, so don't worry.**

**This was a bit rushed, because I have exams coming up really soon. I'm sorry I didn't update for such a long while!**

**Moving on! I own absolutely nothing except Kyoko!**

**Kisses at Night**

I froze, because what else was I supposed to do? I hadn't been expecting this! Here I thought we were trying to escape from a net, trapped in an incredibly awkward position, and then _boom!_ This.

Hikaru's lips were slightly chapped, but soft and warm, and he smelled really good. His hands were firm, but gentle at the same time, and when he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, I couldn't help but respond shyly.

Well, until I very nearly dropped the scissors that was our only ticket to getting out of this rope cage, and then I caught myself. "Mmph, Hikaru!" I pulled back slightly, only for him to follow, until we'd reversed positions and it was now me on my back. "Hika-mmph! The-the net! We have to-!" He kissed me again, harder this time, until I finally lifted a hand and covered his mouth. "Would you stop that?!"

He blinked at me several times, almost like he wasn't quite all there yet. His eyes were still focused on my mouth. After a moment, I felt his lips turn to a frown against my palm and his eyes narrowed. "Is it that you didn't like it?" He spoke, his voice slightly muffled against my palm. "You didn't want to kiss me, did you?"

I immediately flushed pink, and pulled away. "N-No," I mumbled. "That isn't it. I just wasn't expecting you to do that and, um..." I averted my eyes, feeling a lingering phantom warmth on my lips. "Besides, you almost made me drop the scissors, and then we wouldn't have been able to get out of here. We do still need to look for Kaoru and the others."

_Oh shit, Kaoru._ It hit suddenly hit me. If Hikaru liked me, then did Kaoru feel the same? I felt like I was betraying one of them, or both. Goddammit, when did my life get this complicated?!

Oh wait, Kaoru said he didn't like me romantically that day we went out. _True, but he could have changed his mind. He might have been lying. _Kaoru was a self-sacrificing human being. "He won't mind," Hikaru spoke as though he could read my mind and knew what I was thinking. I blinked up at him, but decided that this was not the time to ask what he meant by that. I resumed my task of sawing through the net until I finally managed to cut a gap big enough for us to tumble out of.

It was not a graceful landing though. "Ow!" I groaned when I hit the thinly carpeted floor. "Curse whoever thought that this would be a fun prank."

Hikaru wheezed out a pained laugh, and sat up. "Are you alright?" I nodded, and sat up as well, and then I blinked when I noticed a hand right in front of me.

_It's odd, _I thought to myself as we sprinted through the corridors, occasionally stopping to check the classrooms and rooms that were open. _How much it feels as though nothing has changed, and yet something clearly has. _"Oh my god, where are these people?" I groaned, and then I blinked when something caught my eye. "Hold on..."

_Why does that room door have sandbags covering it?_ "You've got to be kidding me," Hikaru muttered, and I nodded in agreement. _I think our classmates took this thing a bit too seriously._ "Kaoru!" My eyes widened when he began trying to yank away the heavy bags of sand, one at a time. "Kaoru, are you there?!"

"He won't be able to hear us through all the bags," I pointed out, but I was ignored. _That will take forever. _I wandered a few yards away, and then noticed something around the corridor. "Uh, Hikaru?" I called. He was really into trying to free his brother that he didn't respond until I'd yelled three more times, at which he looked up. "There's another door here."

His face, flushed with exertion, darkened even more. "Oh," he blushed, and I couldn't help giggling. At some other time, I might have patted him on the cheek for being so cute, but at the moment it felt like it might be too awkward.

The door was locked, but the key was in the lock. "Kaoru!" I pushed the door open. "Kaoru, are you in here?" He was, and I was very nearly trampled by Hikaru in his excited haste and so I stepped out of the way and let the brothers reunite. Luckily Haruhi was also in there, so I wandered over to her. "So...how's your night been?"

"Bearable," she replied with a nonchalant shrug. "You?"

_I got trapped in a net and ended up kissing Hikaru. So, yeah..._ Luckily it was too dim for her to see my blush. "Eh, it was alright. Hikaru and I got trapped in a net though," I suddenly remembered our class captain, and glanced over at the kid cowering on the ground. "Are you alright?" He nodded hesitantly. He was staring at me pretty hard though, and I had to wonder what I'd done to warrant that. "Alright then, I suppose we should go find our classmates..."

Arms suddenly draped around my shoulders from behind. "Hikaru told me you fell when you were cutting the net," Kaoru rested his chin on the top of my head. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I tried to look up at him, but that just got me a headache and a crick in my neck. _Is that all he told you? _"I hope you weren't too lonely without us."

That got me a nuzzle just above my ear. "I'm just glad you're alright."

I smiled up at him, and we all made our way out of the classroom. We found the rest of our classmates in the school greenhouse. They all seemed relieved to see us. "Gosh, we were worried sick about you guys!" Kurakano told us. "Where have you guys been? You left your stations! We stopped the whole event to look for you!"

"What do you mean?" Kaoru frowned. "You were the ones who started it!" Our classmates had the nerve to look confused by the statement and accusation, and then there was a terrified scream from the corner of the room.

Renge and Kurakano were clinging to one another and trembling in apparent terror. "What's wrong?" Haruhi asked, and they both whimpered and claimed that they had seen something white moving outside the window. At that moment, something moved above us, and we all looked up to see a looming black shadow in the shape of some horrifying creature.

Now, I'm certain that, had we all been in our right minds, none of us would actually have been terrified of the shadow. Unfortunately, we'd all had a pretty harrowing night, so it was no surprise that literally everyone (even me, unfortunately) freaked out at the sight, and proceeded to stampede out of the school building.

* * *

oOo

* * *

On Monday the next week, the newspaper came out with a huge front-page feature covering the events of the Halloween Fear Trial. Haruhi sighed resignedly as we gazed at the picture pinned to one of the school notice-boards. "We've been had, haven't we?" She commented wryly.

"_Class 1-A Declared Ministry of Cowards,_" I read the title aloud, and then huffed and crossed my arms. "I can't believe we all fell for that." Looking at the picture now, it was obvious what the shadow was. I'm willing to bet none of us even bothered to look at it properly while we were running away.

"Damn you Nekozawa-senpai," Hikaru grunted, resting an arm on my left right shoulder. "I can't believe he interfered..."

Kaoru hummed his agreement, his own arm on my left shoulder. "It's obviously Beelzenef if you look closer," he gazed at the large, shadowy, but still clearly comprehensible image of the cat puppet looming above us.

Also gazing at the newspaper were our class reps. Kurakono smiled faintly. "I've heard about it," she said softly, surprising her partner. "That even though you're a coward, you bore with it for the class's sake, right?" Kazukiyo stuttered loudly, before blushing and hanging his head with a self-depreciating apology. "No, that's so honourable of you!" She beamed at him. "I now have new reasons to admire you!"

"Aw..." I cooed quietly as our class representative flushed a nice shade of red at her praise.

Kaoru grinned. "Nice mood, isn't it?" He remarked. "The magic spells of the carriage don't last forever, do they?"

It was a rather cryptic statement, which I somewhat understood. His twin glanced at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Hikaru asked, and Kaoru stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, before apparently shrugging the whole thing off.

"Well, if you're both willing to run to me in that situation, then I suppose everything's fine." We both blinked in confusion, until he spun us around and started pushing us in the direction of the school building. "Come on, let's go!"

I thought back to the thoughts Kaoru had shared with me. The magic of the pumpkin, the idea that everything we know now will change but, to keep it the way it is, we say words designed to keep us in the same place. "Kaoru was acting weird," Hikaru noted.

"I think he's got a lot on his mind," I replied with a shrug. "Right, Kaoru?" I couldn't feel the gentle force of his hand on my back anymore, and I stopped walking and turned around. "Kaoru, what are you doing?" He was standing a few feet behind us, and he started visibly when he saw that I'd stopped walking to stare at him. I walked back to him and grabbed his hand. "Come on! If we don't hurt, we'll be late!"

_I told you I wouldn't leave you alone. _


	39. Chapter 40

**I don't even know what happened with this chapter. It was not supposed to go in this direction. I did not mean for this to happen. All feeling-induced rants/assaults should be directed not at me.**

**Also, in light of the Stevenbomb episodes (AND HOLY SHIT GF IS COMING BACK I AM SO UNPREPARED HELP), I am suddenly really into the idea of gemsonas for the twins and Kyoko. Like, I have already picked out gems and shit and holy shit, I am narcissistic trash pls ignore me *digs hole and climbs inside***

**I own nothing except for Kyoko **

**Hiding in the Library**

_Kyoko is avoiding us._

This was not the first time this thought had occurred to the twins that day. Their doll had been going out of her way to stay as far away from them as possible all through the day. She'd taken a seat next to Haruhi during registration, instead of her usual place between them. She had made excuses during lunch period for being unable to sit with them and, when she couldn't avoid them, she pretended to be engrossed in a book or her phone.

Needless to say, this was getting on their nerves. "Have we done anything to upset her recently?" Kaoru asked thoughtfully in the hallway. Hikaru shrugged, not as far as he could remember. Nothing they'd done recently had been out of the ordinary.

They decided to ask Haruhi about Kyoko's behaviour during the long break, and she'd shrugged. "Whatever is happening, it's not because she dislikes you guys," she replied calmly. "She likes you both a lot." While this sentiment soothed them a bit, it did little to stem their worry. Was something wrong with Kyoko and she just didn't want to make everyone worry?

Hikaru frowned and stared at Haruhi. "Where is she now?" He asked.

"She told me she was going to the library," she replied with an easy shrug. "But she said she wanted to be left-!" They'd already turned and taken off before she was done speaking. "...alone...ugh..."

In the library, Kyoko was having what one might call, a tiny little crisis, which was why she'd tucked herself away in one of the less frequented corners of the library. After the Halloween event, it had taken her an embarrassingly long period of time for her brain to pick up on one fact, and that was _holy shit, Hikaru kissed me._

It had all been downhill from there. She'd kissed Hikaru. _She'd kissed Hikaru_. Or, you know, he'd kissed her, but semantics aren't important! What was important was that their lips had made contact for more than ten seconds and she'd _enjoyed it._

Which had her raising all sorts of questions, one of which was _what would it be like to kiss Kaoru?_ And that had her flushing bright red behind the book she was pretending to read.

She liked them, of course she did. Hell, she could admit (in her own mind, at the very least) that she was probably in love with them, and therein lay the problem: could she have both of them? Did they both even like her?

Hikaru clearly did, he'd shown that, but what about Kaoru? Kyoko mentally slapped herself, she didn't want to treat them like a set piece, like _buy one, get one free_. She just...she wanted...

By that time she'd buried her face in her hands with her eyes closed as she contemplated her dilemma to the point where she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to cry, and that was how the twins found her. For a moment, they did think she was crying, but they couldn't hear anything that would show that. However, she seemed deep in thought, and didn't notice them take seats on either side of her until Hikaru cleared his throat.

Kyoko yelped and sat up immediately. "H-how did you guys find me?!"

"Haruhi told us you were here," they replied in sync. "Mostly...you've been avoiding us, haven't you?" When she started in surprise, they frowned and leaned closer to her. Kyoko looked away, suddenly nervous. _Was it that obvious?_

_Of course it was! It was obvious the second you said you didn't want to join them for lunch! You love having lunch with them!_

"Did we do something to upset you?" Hikaru asked.

"Did we say something you didn't like?" Kaoru quizzed.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, nothing like that!" She denied. "I just had something on my mind that I needed to think about, but it's okay now," she forced her smile to look realistic, and luckily she didn't have to try too hard; them being around already made her feel better. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you both worry..."

They stared at her silently for a few more moments, and then Hikaru huffed and flopped backwards on the seat, draping his arm across the back. "Next time, talk to us," he stated. "We don't like it when you're not around."

Kaoru hummed in agreement, and leaned over to rest his head on her shoulder. When he spoke, his breath rushed over her neck and she shivered slightly. "Mm, yeah. Next time just come and talk to us. We'll do our best to make you happy."

"Mhm," she sighed, and found herself relaxing, and then shifting to accommodate Hikaru when he decided to rest his head on her other shoulder. She didn't have to think about this now, did she? There was still time and, as long as she still got to spend time with them and have them close by, then she was okay...right?

They sat like that for a while, and then Kaoru spoke up. "Do you want to come home with us today?" The question was asked out of the blue, and she jerked in surprise. Judging by the expression that crossed Hikaru's face, he wasn't expecting that either. However, he didn't look like he objected to it at all.

She grinned. "You guys aren't sick again, are you?" She teased. "Do you need me to follow you home and play nurse again?"

Hikaru breathed a laugh against her neck, and the skin there tingled. "No, we just want to spend time with you since you spent the whole day away from us. Although if you still want to dress up..."

"I don't."

"Are you sure?" Kaoru pretended to pout. "We found this cute little kitten outfit that would fit you. It even has a collar~!"

"Now I _definitely_ do not!" She giggled and tried to pull away, but Hikaru quickly wrapped an arm around her waist while Kaoru grabbed her wrists. "You guys!"

"You would look really good with a collar though."

She spluttered and tried to glare at them, even through her laughter. "Bite me," she snapped automatically before her brain could catch up to her. "Wait, no, I didn't mean-_ah!_"

Okay, so _maybe _she should have thought her words through _before_ uttering them. Teeth dug into the sides of her neck firmly, and Kyoko couldn't help arching her back slightly in response. It only lasted a second, maybe two, but the result was the same when they finally pulled away: bright pink kiss marks on either side of her neck.

"Pretty," Kaoru commented.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now..." she heard Hikaru say. Apparently their brains hadn't caught up to them either.

Kyoko could feel her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. What was that? What did that mean? She wanted to say something, but she had no idea what that would be. Neither of them had pulled away completely, and she was almost afraid to. "I..."

_I don't think I can go with them. Not without freaking out. What's wrong with me? _

The bell rang, and she realised that school was completely over. Soon the library would close. Haruhi had probably already gone home. "Huh," Hikaru hummed quietly. "Sounds like it's raining outside."

Oh, it was. When they got downstairs, the sky was dark and rain was falling heavily. "I'm going to assume you didn't bring an umbrella, did you?" Kaoru asked. Kyoko shook her head, no. Normally she carried her umbrella around in her bag, but she'd hung it out to dry yesterday and had forgotten to put it back. At any rate, the rain was falling too hard for it to be of any use now. "Then I guess we do have to take you home with us."

"I..." the rain drowned out the sound, which was probably for the best. She still didn't know what to say. Her neck still tingled from their bites, and she probably had marks there now. _No, not marks...hickeys..._

The word made her feel lightheaded and dizzy, not only because of the connotations associated with it, but also because she'd never thought that such a thing would apply to her. At least, not right _now_.

A sleek black car that she vaguely recognised pulled up to the front of the school, and the door was opened. Kyoko slid in first without a word, and the twins shot each other guilty looks across the hood of the car. To be honest, neither of them were sure why they'd done that. It had been a spur of the moment thing.

"_Bite me."_

But she hadn't meant it like _that. _Even in the dim interior of the car, they could make out the marks they'd left. They'd fade quickly, seeing as neither of them had tried to make them more permanent. Heck, they hadn't even meant to make them in the first place! Nevertheless, for now they were there: dark little spots that showed that she was theirs.

Both of them were very aware of how possessive this seemed. She didn't even know exactly how they felt about her. Of course she had to have _some _idea, but not entirely. She didn't know everything. In their own minds, they'd claimed her, but at the same time they hadn't.

The entire ride to the twin's home is spent in a state of silence. In spite of the car ride, and the sturdy umbrella, they still managed to get soaked with water. "Ah, look at you..." Kaoru sighed, dragging her up to their bedroom. "You'll catch a cold if you stay in those clothes," he stated, pinching the hem of her coat and tugging lightly.

"Then...shouldn't I go home?" She said, not fighting the grip they both had on her arms.

Thunder rumbled, and she started. "No, just stay here for now," Hikaru shrugged off his blazer. Kaoru had already removed his own blazer, and was starting on his tie.

_Wait, what are you doing?!_ "D-don't change in front of me!" She yelped and covered her eyes with her hands. "J-Just give me some spare clothes and I'll go change in the bathroom or something!"

Hikaru and Kaoru stared at her red face through the gaps in her fingers, and then at each other. They had spare clothes, yes. They were rich and their mother designed clothes for a living. They had an assortment of shirts, dresses, and shoes that would fit her perfectly...

Yet, they both found themselves going over to their own cupboard and returning with one of their shirts that would clearly be too big for her, and a pair of black slacks with an elastic waist. "Here," they handed them to her, and she smiled gratefully. "You might as well have a bath while you're in there..."

Kyoko nodded mutely, and she felt bad for making them worry while they were trying to take care of her. At any rate, their bathroom was incredibly luxurious, and the expansive bathtub was quickly filled up with hot water that.

_Okay, I really need to think this through,_ she huffed as she stripped and began to braid her up. _What do I know? _Steam rose from the bathtub in misty clouds.

_I know that I love the twins,_ she stepped into the tub and slipped into the water.

_I know that I want them to kiss me and hug me like they always do,_ she reclined backwards with a sigh of pleasure.

_I know that it would hurt me to hurt them. _

_I know that I want them to be happy... _

The bruises on her neck tingled, probably from the sensation of the hot water, and she bit her bottom lip and sank down further, choosing to focus on the pleasant, stinging sensation.

As soon as the door of the bathroom shut, Hikaru and Kaoru turned to each other with agitated expressions. "We should not have done that," Kaoru groaned.

"Why did we even do that?" Hikaru hissed. _Bite me._ The words repeated silently. "She didn't even mean it like that!"

_What made us think that was a good idea?_ The thought passed between them, but they had no answer. Now they'd scared her, freaked her out, no wonder she'd seemed so quiet.

There was the sound of a door opening, and they immediately looked over as she peered out from the bathroom. Her skin looked pinker from the bath, and her hair was messy. The shirt they'd given her _had _been too big, and it hung from her shoulders in a way that made her look slightly vulnerable. This, coupled with the nervous way she avoided their eyes, and the hand that gripped tightly at the collar like she was trying to protect herself...

Kaoru took a step forward, and then stopped. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I just..." she sidled over to where she'd dropped her bag. "I should call Haruhi...so she knows where I am, okay?" She faced away from them and put the phone to her ear. To them, she looked small.

They also knew that anything physical might cause her to bolt for the hills, but still... "We'll be downstairs if you need us..." Kyoko froze when Kaoru's arms wrapped around her. Cool lips pressed against her forehead, and then let go.

A quick kiss was pressed to her cheek. "Come find us when you're ready," Hikaru muttered, and then he too was gone, and she was left with a feeling of shock and something else clawing at the inside of her throat. _What am I...?_ She lifted her fingers to her face and found them wet. Tears.

The squeezing in her chest and throat grew worse. The tears welled up even more, as though her notice of them had broken a dam. _Don't cry. Don't cry!_

"_...-llo? Hello? Kyoko?_" She jerked. She hadn't even noticed that Haruhi had answered the phone.

"Y-Yeah, it's me," she winced. Oh god, her voice came out sounding too thick, so obvious. She swallowed and tried again. "Sorry, I'm with Hikaru and Kaoru right now. I just thought you should know before uncle goes nuts."

"_Are you okay?_" Haruhi sounded worried. "_You don't sound so good. Is everything alright?_"

_Lie._ Not that Haruhi wouldn't know. The girl was many things, but she wasn't stupid. Kyoko could rarely lie to her, but she would now. "No, I'm fine," she sniffed. "I think I may have caught a cold because of the rain. It's nothing, really." Haruhi hummed disbelievingly, but she didn't push it. The two exchanged a few more words, and then ended the conversation.

Downstairs was mostly empty, save for a few maids that threw her curious looks that grew a bit too knowing when they realised what she was wearing. Kyoko avoided their eyes, and only looked up when she needed to ask one where the twins were. In response, she was taken to what might have been the TV room, if a normal TV was supposed to take up about half of the wall. So maybe it was more like an indoor cinema?

There were stuffed seats on the ground, covered in what looked like the softest faux-fur imaginable. The twins were dragging them together, forming a large couch, in front of which they spread a blanket. As she watched quietly from the door, Hikaru paused and pressed a button on a remote. The screen lit up and switched to a movie-selection menu. There was a large bowl of popcorn sitting on the sleek, modern-looking coffee table.

She decided to make her presence known. "Are we watching a movie now?" She asked, flushing when they both turned to stare at her. "What movie is it?"

They both shrugged, and Hikaru straightened. "Whatever you want," he replied as Kaoru beckoned her closer with a hand and patted the space beside him. "Anything you want." The fabric was as soft as she'd thought when she sat, and she curled her legs underneath her body to take up as much space as possible when Hikaru sat on her other side.

They weren't even touching her, barely anyway. There was nothing apart from the faint brush of their knees, or their arms when Kaoru grabbed the remote and nodded to the large screen where the selection still played.

Without thinking, she decided on _Big Hero 6._ One, because she had yet to see it, and two, because it was one of the few movies she recognised. It was a good choice – the activity more than the actual movie. Watching a movie gave her something to focus on. It meant that she didn't have to look at either of them, and she didn't have to deal with any confusion.

_I wish I had a personal robot to make me feel better and dispense hugs,_ she thought mournfully as she chewed her popcorn, swallowed, and opened her mouth for a new piece. Then she blinked and looked down.

That wasn't her hand.

Hikaru and Kaoru blinked back at her innocently, a kernel of popcorn in their hands. "It took you longer than expected to notice," Kaoru commented, pushing the kernel between her lips and teeth before she could say anything. Pink lips, he wondered what they tasted like. Hikaru had said that she'd tasted like Halloween candy, but now he was sure she'd taste like the sugar from the popcorn.

Kyoko could feel herself tearing up again. _Not again. _The twins jerked in surprise when she suddenly lurched towards them and wrapped her arms around their necks, nearly overturning the bowl of popcorn in the process. "I'm sorry..." she murmured. "I'm sorry I've been acting so..." _Stupid? Confusing? Moody?_

_All of the above._

Someone placed a hand on the small of her back. Kaoru. Another hand rested between her shoulder blades. Hikaru. "_Cute,_" they mumbled together, and Kyoko smiled, feeling the clenching in her chest begin to cease. She then yelped when she felt Kaoru's hand slip underneath the shirt.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru scolded, and the twin grinned back a bit sheepishly.

"I couldn't help it!" He sounded slightly breathy, but also like he was trying not to laugh.

Hikaru rolled his eyes, a grin twitching at his lips. "That's my line," he huffed. "I know we haven't touched her all day but...!"

Kyoko listened to the fake argument happening above her, and began to giggle. Her giggles soon dissolved into muffled, stomach-clenching laughter, and she failed to notice the smirk both boys gave each over the top of her head.

**Uh huh *nervous cough* I have zero idea where this chapter came from. I mean, the whole **_**bite me **_**was probably what started it because I do say that a lot. Like, more than I probably should.**

**Anyway, please read and review! I will be re-watching Steven Universe and Gravity Falls online for the next three hours.**


	40. Chapter 41

**Random fairytale time while I work on the next chapter! If you have no idea who Saizo is, please reread chapter 18.**

**I own nothing except Kyoko!**

**EDIT: I decided to change the ending because it didn't quite sit well with me, sorry!**

**Little Red Riding Hood**

_Once upon a time, as all fairytales go – seriously, what time? What day? Clarification is needed here people! – there lived a young girl named Kyoko. This little girl was the prettiest little creature who ever was seen, also as all fairytales go, and she lived with her cousin's family in the lovely village of Ouran. Her uncle was excessively fond of she and her cousin, and tended to treat them as dolls on which he lathered with presents. Amongst these gifts were hand-stitched cloaks with hoods – one coral pink, and one apple red – for them to wear._

_These hoods suited them both exceedingly well, and so were worn almost every day by the two. Especially since, for the first time, he hadn't added copious amounts of lace or ribbons to the designs. He had stitched little cat ears to the top of Kyoko's, but that was by her own request so it hardly mattered. At any rate, both wore their cloaks so frequently around the village, that Kyoko was known as Little Red Riding Hood, and her cousin Haruhi...well she should have been called Little __**Pink**__ Riding hood, but that doesn't flow quite as well does it?_

_Well that doesn't matter, moving on!_

_On this fine day, Haruhi had been baking as she did every Saturday, and had prepared some cakes and treats._

"Hey, Kyoko," Haruhi called as she wrapped up the cake slices and snacks in paper. Kyoko's head appeared round the corner. "Could you take this to grandmother's house? According to dad, she's been ill lately so these should cheer her up."

Kyoko lifted her shoulders in a shrug as she watched Haruhi place the things inside a brown wicker basket. "Is it time already?" She walked over and peered into the basket. It was her duty to take things over to their grandmother's home every Saturday. It wasn't regular thing, but it happened frequently enough, and always on Saturday. "It's just through the woods right?" She was speaking of the thick woodland that separated their village from the next one. Their grandmother's house was right at the very edge of the forest, which really just seemed like a terrible place for a frail old woman to live but there you have it.

"Don't forget your hood!" Haruhi called from the kitchen. Kyoko yelled back an affirmation as she buttoned the cloak around her shoulders, and shook out her hair. "Remember to be careful of wolves!"

"Alright!" Although it was late in the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and she was certain that she would be able to make it through with minimal trouble. After all, she had traipsed through those trees before and – in spite of the warnings of wolves and the like, she had never actually seen one.

Besides, even if she did, she was certain she would be able to protect herself. At the very least, she could climb one of the trees. Wolves couldn't climb.

She waved to a few people as she passed through, stopping to chat with the woodcutter Mori, and the sweetshop owner, Honey. She also waved to the village tax collector, Kyouya, but didn't stop for too long. He scared her. After purchasing a bag of strawberry candy drops from the sweetshop, she continued on her way, her lips covered in a gleaming sugary sheen.

Soon she had left most of the village behind, and was approaching the edge of the forest. The ground was slightly damp, and she was thankful for the boots she was wearing over her tights. She was not, however, thankful for the short red dress that she had somehow found herself wearing. It provided little cover, and would have left her cold if not for the hood.

Kyoko was so busy thinking of this that, as the shadows of the forest canopy closed over her head, she failed to notice the eyes peering at her from the darkness.

The trees got thicker the further she walked, until the only light visible were the tiny sunbeams that filtered through the leaves in the forest canopy and fell on the ferny forest floor. As Kyoko walked, she found her thoughts drifting to other things as they usually did. However, this time they drifted so far that, by the time they returned and she finally came to, she had little to no idea where she was.

_Am I lost? _She stopped walking and looked behind her. Nothing but trees and undergrowth. The same lay before her, and she sighed softly. _I hope I'm not lost. Oh, I'm lost aren't I? I've never gotten lost in these woods before..._

_Well, I've only been walking forward so far, right? _She turned around to face the opposite direction. _Then if I go all the way back, I should be able to find my way back. _Pleased with her idea, she prepared to do just that. However, just as she took a step forward, something dark darted between the trees before her.

She froze, her heart beating faster. _What was that?_ A wolf? The warnings she'd been told came back to her, and she began to run through the undergrowth as fast as she could. She could hear the sound of someone chasing her, and she quickened her steps. A hand landed on her shoulder, and she whirled around with a panicked shriek.

The man behind her winced and jumped backwards. "Jeez, Kyoko!"

"Saizo?!" She gasped. "Oh thank goodness," she inhaled deeply, and exhaled with relief. "I thought you were a wolf or something!"

The man chuckled, the axe he used to cut wood hanging at his fingertips. "Yeah, there were some wolves back there, but I chased them off. That's when I saw you," he smiled, stepping closer. "Hey, don't you think I deserve a reward or something for that?"

She laughed nervously, taking a step backwards to maintain the distance between them. "Um, now isn't really the time for this..."

He kept walking, and she could feel her relief disappearing. She knew Saizo had a crush on her, but she had turned him down numerous times for varying reasons; the first being that she was too busy for a relationship, and the most recent being _I am not at all interested in you nor do I believe I will ever be._

Unfortunately, he wasn't too good at understanding that. He tipped up her chin with his free hand, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "What a girl like you needs is a guy like me to take care of you. A man to keep you at home, safe and sound, eh?" She resisted the urge to spit in his face, although she did not hide the disgusted curl of her lips.

"I've told you that I'm not interested in you," she hissed, pulling away from him. "I'm glad you saved me, but that changes nothing!"

A second later, she felt him grab her arm in a painful grip, and then just as suddenly as that had happened, he released her. Kyoko turned to see what could have spooked him so badly, and felt her body freeze as she caught sight of a pair of glowing eyes in the bushes. Below the eyes, she saw the gleam of white teeth clenched in a wide grin.

"_Wolf!_" Saizo screamed, and without even a look back, he took off running. The wolf followed, a loud howl sounding through the trees. Kyoko did not wait to see if there were more, she simply ran, not caring that she was only getting more and more lost. Being lost was preferable to being killed and eaten.

She wasn't sure how long she ran, but by the time she stopped she had no idea where she was, only that she'd somehow found herself in a nicely lit clearing, in the centre of which was a large tree. She stared up at it as she tried to catch her breath, and looked around nervously.

"Did I lose them?"She wondered, looking around. She did not notice the dark figures behind her, until one replied in an amused tone.

"_Not even close, kitten."_

Kyoko yelped and spun around, searching for the source of the voice. She couldn't see anyone else, and she wondered if she had just been hearing things. And then it came again, this time different. "Did we scare you?" The voice cooed, and she yelped and staggered backwards away from the tree. "We did, didn't we?"

There, she could see the source now; golden eyes with slits for pupils watched her from one side of the tree. The same eyes that had scared Saizo away. _Wolves. _

_I had no idea they could talk. _"Don't be mean," another voice said, the first voice she'd heard. This came from another pair of matching eyes on the other side of the tree. "We've never seen you come that way before, have we? You go another way."

Kyoko wasn't sure how to respond, or even if she was supposed to. Who were those people? Were they even people? Had those been the black shapes she'd seen earlier, or were those still out there? And what did that one mean by _you go another way._ Had they been watching her?

The silence continued for a few more seconds, before she realized that they did expect an answer, and she could see a flicker of something akin to amusement when she finally replied. "My name is Kyoko..."

"Kyoko?" The voices melded. "Kyoko, huh? Well isn't that a cute name," they both smiled, and she could see the gleam of white teeth with the rest of them shrouded completely by the shadows. "Well, Kyoko..."

"What's a cute little kitten like you..."

"...doing in a place like this?"

Inadvertently, she felt her cheeks flush slightly, and she fidgeted in place. "I got lost, I suppose," she confessed, looking around to see if she could run. She didn't know who they were, or if they were dangerous, but they hadn't attacked her yet. _Unless they're toying with me first..._ "Who are you?"

Both stared at her for a moment, and then hummed quietly together. "A pretty little kitty like you, lost and all alone in the woods," they seemed to ignore her question. They probably meant for their tone to come across as pitying, or similar, but instead they just sounded gleeful. "Aren't you afraid of wolves?"

_Terrified. _"If the wolves don't hurt me, then I'm fine," she replied coolly, standing straighter and squaring her shoulders. "So if you don't mind, I need to go," she turned to leave, and felt wind rush against her back. "What the-?" She yelped when she found herself staring into a pair of eyes, and stumbled backwards. Instead of hitting the ground, as she'd expected, her back connected with something warm and solid.

"Oh, you're much smaller than we thought!" The figure in front of her was male, taller than she was by at least a whole head. He had mischievous eyes, and a smirk playing on his lips. Atop his head was a pair of wolf ears, and behind him she could see a tail. Both appendages twitched with excitement as he stepped closer. "Isn't she, Hikaru?"

She whirled around, the arms around her hips letting her go, and found another man behind her. He looked exactly the same as the one before her, but there was something slightly sharper about the way he smiled at her.

He took a step closer to her. "And she smells much better up close," he inhaled. "I wish that woodcutter hadn't touched you though," he mumbled.

_So these are the wolves?!_ This wasn't what she had expected at all. Kyoko took a step back, then another, her eyes darting around for an escape route. Her plan to climb trees was clearly out of the question. Wolves couldn't climb trees, but men could. She didn't need a repeat of what had just happened.

The wolf that was called Hikaru, grinned wider. "Even if you run, we'll just catch you," he told her, backing her unknowingly closer and closer to his twin. "We have your scent after all~"

Her body tensed when she felt hands wrap around her wrists, pinning them to her sides. "We've had it for weeks now..." the wolf named Kaoru hummed, inhaling deeply as his lips moved down her cheek to her ear. "But never so strongly."

Her body tensed further, and she began to struggle as best as she could. "Let go of me! Let go!"

"Oi, stop moving so much!" Kaoru tightened her grip on her. "We're not going to hurt you."

Although it seemed like a bad idea, she stopped flailing, and instead curled her arms around herself in a defensive posture. The arms holding her body relaxed just a bit, before finally dropping away from her hips altogether. She took a few steps backwards, eying both warily, taking in the casual way they smirked back at her. "What did you mean by what you said before?" She finally asked. "That you had my scent?"

They glanced at each other. "We've seen you pass by before," the one she thought was called Hikaru said.

"You take stuff to the next village once a week," Kaoru added. "We thought you were cute, especially with that hood you always wear."

So they had been watching her, she rubbed her upper arms nervously. "If you've seen me so many times, why didn't you attack me during any of those times?"

"Oh, we _wanted_ to," they said together, voices warm and eyes half lowered. The way their eyes trailed from the top of her hair, to the soles of her feet, made her certain that they had chosen a different definition of that word. "You looked so adorable walking through these woods that, for a while, we were content to watch."

Their eyes darkened suddenly. "Then that woodcutter touched you," Kaoru hissed. "And we couldn't have _that_," he took a step forward, forcing her backwards once, twice, until she suddenly tripped over something and fell into Hikaru's waiting arms. The wolf fell to the ground, trapping her in his lap.

He buried his face in her neck and breathed in the scent of the skin. "And you're so close now..." Hikaru exhaled, the action sounding like a shaky groan right against her ear. "So soft..."

Kaoru crawled over her legs, pinning her in position, his lips a mere inch from her own. "...do you really expect us to control ourselves?" He licked her bottom lip, tasting the sweets she'd been eating.

_Both wolves attacked at the same time, running their hands up her tight-covered legs and over her thighs, kissing her lips, biting at the unblemished skin of her throat, leaving marks that would remind others that she was theirs and theirs alone, until the forest rang with moans._

_The wolves nipped at her ear, nuzzling the sensitive skin behind it. "Kyoko," they whispered. "Kyoko..."_

* * *

Kyoko stared at the last few lines of the story, and then at Renge, and then back to the story. "We're not doing this."

"What?" The other girl whined. "Why not? This was way better written than the last one! I've been working on my skills and I think this would be an exciting part of the magazi-!"

"No."

"But-!"

"No."

Renge pouted as Kyoko handed back the paper, and huffed. "Fine, I guess I'll just give it to the twins. _They _appreciate my writing."

The other girl blanched, and her mouth fell open. "What do you mean _they _appreciate your writing?! Wait," her eyes widened more. "How many of those have you actually written?!"

"..." Renge's shuffling silence was enough of an answer, and she groaned and facepalmed.

**Endings? What are endings? How do you end something? Apparently, I have no idea anymore. This is what happens when you don't plan stuff Butterfly! You gotta have a plan!**

**Anyway, please read and review! Thank you!**


	41. Chapter 42

**Sorry for not updating in a while, shit happened and I'm in a somewhat uncomfortable position right now so it took a while to do this chapter. It would have come up yesterday, but the internet was acting up and I couldn't log in at all. Still, I'm here now! I own nothing except Kyoko!**

**Thank you for all the reviews you guys, it means a lot**

**Morinozuka's Apprentice**

"Welcome!"

I weaved around the kotatsus and the mats, doing my best not to trip over the newly placed decorations, or my outfit. As much as I liked the flowing sleeves, and the wide trouser legs that managed to nearly touch the ground in spite of the very high-heeled slippers I was wearing, those lovely qualities just made it incredibly difficult for me to manoeuvre myself around easily.

Today the Host Club had decided on a historical theme. They were dressed as the _shinsengumi_, a group of samurais that were loyal to the shogunate during the Bakumatsu era, and acted as a police force during that time. It had been Renge's idea to do this, as well as the proposal that we shouldn't assign roles to any of the hosts, but simply let the guests make their own suggestions as to who was who.

Well, apart from Tamaki. His character had been decided on almost immediately by the incoming guests. "Tamaki, you're cosplaying as Sakamoto Ryoma, right?" A girl quizzed, her hands clasped to her chest. Several of them had gathered around Tamaki, watching him with awed eyes. "You look so wild and cool!"

"Of course," he agreed smoothly. "He is someone I admire greatly after all. _Your hearts will surely belong to me!_" The deeper voice, coupled with the Tosa dialect, sent them into shrieks of excitement.

I paused beside Haruhi with a hand on my hip to watch the proceedings. "It sounds weird when he talks like that," she commented flatly to me, one hand resting on the fake sword hanging at her side. She looked down at her costume curiously. "On a similar note, I never knew this Bakumatsu era theme would go down so well with everyone."

"What are you talking about?" Hikaru and Kaoru appeared behind us, rolling their eyes. "This is like the basics of basics."

"It's practically a pillar of romantic fantasy," Kaoru held up a finger. "Practically every girl is in love with the Bakumatsu era. They especially love the shinsengumi."

_The idea is somewhat similar to English medieval knights, and I can see why,_ I thought dryly, and then blinked when Honey popped up. "Most of the girls who like it are maniacs though!" He chirped happily. _Maniacs?_

"_Is the reason for their popularity due to the noble way with which they sacrificed their young lives for their country?_" A familiarly overdramatic voice spoke up. "_Or is it because of the stoic manner with which they disciplined themselves to strictly follow Bushido? Or is it because..._"

I turned around to see Hikaru and Kaoru perform one of their 'scenes', in which Kaoru pretended to have been felled by an arrow. Hikaru caught his arm as he staggered, and pulled him close. _You can't die,_ he whispered. _This is it for me..._ Kaoru replied softly but with feeling. Several girls screamed in the background, squirming in a frenzy of excitement.

_Ah, _I nodded in understanding. _Maniacs. Of course. _Going by the expression on Haruhi's face, she too had reached a similar conclusion. "Well, I'm busy. Have fun!" I patted her on the back, leaving her to be the object of several girls' fantasies, and went to fetch more refreshments for the guests. As I passed by, I overheard one of the girls likening him to Souji Okita because her expression was apparently very ephemeral and beatific.

Alright it was, but not for the reasons they probably thought. _She's still thinking about that meat sale that's happening at the supermarket, isn't she?_ Very few things can make my cousin have that expression, and one of them is food. It is one of the things we have in common, except she has far better self control than I do.

I fetched a tray of...I'm not quite sure, but it looked like some sort of fancy candy sitting on fake leaves. If walking around normally was hard, then walking around while balancing trays of food was harder. At least I didn't have to serve any drinks, since they would most likely have ended up on someone's clothes.

On my way, I wandered past the twins and Tamaki, who seemed to be doing some fantasizing of their own. "Haruhi would look cute even in a paper bag," Tamaki was saying, causing me to freeze and turn to stare at them with wide eyes. All three of them had wide smiles, and their eyes glinted with intent.

..._why did I stop? I should keep walking!_

Too late. The twins grinned and Hikaru grabbed my wrist, yanking me closer and easily unbalancing me. Only sheer good _luck_ prevented me from spilling the entire contents of the tray all over the floor and further compounding Haruhi's debt. "You'd look adorable in anything, Kyoko," they cooed at the same time. Kaoru tipped my chin up with a smile. "Would you let us find out?"

"Hell. _No,_" I replied immediately, and then I yelped when they began pulling at my outfit like they wanted to strip me right there. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON'T TOUCH ME!" I flailed, gaping when I heard the excited squeals of delight from the guests in the background. _What the hell is wrong with these people?!_ "PUT ME DOWN!"

"No way~!" They sang together, hugging me tighter. _I swear to god..._ "Hey, do you still have those bruises on your ne-?"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mori shot up, grabbed the (hopefully fake) spear he had been holding, and stabbed it into the screen door that separated the Host Club from the outside world. Really, it was quite an opportune time for that event to occur because had the twins finished their question, I might have dissolved into a puddle of embarrassed goop (because I did still have the bruises, even though they were fading but still needed to be hidden with make-up).

At any rate, while the random move had clearly excited the guests, it also freaked the rest of us out because wow, hadn't _that_ been unexpected.

Mori yanked the spear out of the door as Tamaki began to babble something about how Mori _shouldn't get desperate just because he didn't have that many lines, _and _he was still a shining star in their hearts_ in spite of his near total lack of dialogue.

"No," the taller boy said, and he pushed the door open to reveal another boy lying sprawled on the ground, most likely he'd leaped back to avoid being skewered. "We have an intruder."

This intruder had violently bright red hair, and a face that like he was perpetually angry. I jumped back when he made a sound like a war cry, and leaped right at Mori. "_Morinozuka Takashi!_" He yelled, and then he suddenly dropped down to his knees in a gesture of supplication. "Senpai, please accept me as your apprentice!"

_...huh?_

"Kasanoda Ristu," Kyouya read from his little black book/file a little while later. The members of the club took one couch, with Mori sitting at a table a bit further away with Honey, and I perched on the armrest beside the twins. "Class 1-D. He is the son of the third chief of the Kasanoda family, the most powerful yakuza group in the Kanto region. He entered Ouran at the high school level. His defining characteristics are his long, red hair, and mean expression. Since he doesn't talk much, he has no friends to date."

There was a bit more, including a few rumours that had been started. _Look into his eyes and you'll have nightmares for three months. Hit him and he'll land you in the hospital. Talk back to him and he'll send you straight to hell. _

_Who makes up this stuff? _I wondered, staring at the guy. I mean, yeah he did have a really scary expression, so I could kind of see where people might get those ideas...but to spread them around with no proof and no care of how that might affect him?

"To his classmates, he is referred to as _The Human Blizzard_," Kyouya snapped the notebook shut, signalling that he was done. Tamaki, apparently over his initial fear, cocked his head at the boy in curiousity.

"So...why would someone so formidable want to become Mori-senpai's apprentice?" He asked the question that was on all our minds.

Kasanoda stared back at us silently, and then his shoulders slumped. "No, I'm not like that," he admitted gruffly. "I was just born with this scary-looking face..."

"So you're aware of it, Cassanova," the twins commented.

He twitched at the name. "It's Kasanoda."

"Bossa Nova?"

I could have sworn his eyes flashed red, and he snarled. "_It's Kasanoda, dammit! You guys got a deathwish or something?!_"

_Holy shit,_ I blinked, and then realised that the threat had caused the rest of the club – excluding Haruhi, Kyouya, and myself – to go scrambling for safety behind the couch. "That _is_ a scary face..." Tamaki muttered.

Kasanoda jerked in realisation, and placed his palm to his forehead with a groan. "Wait, that's not what I mean..." he started in a quieter voice. "I just...since I was born with this expression, everyone always said I had the features to become the most terrifying yakuza in the country..."

So he was groomed in how to walk, talk, and _behave_ like a mob clan chief. As if that wasn't enough, his father also spread terrible rumours about him, which caused people to become terrified and steer clear of him...including members of his own family...

_Shit, he's tugging my heartstrings. Why do I have to be so soft? _He sighed and looked away. "You know...I really like kittens..." _Well I'm gone. Darn my inability to not care about stuff like this._ "I also like to read and write...and I'd rather avoid pain and violence...the truth is, I want to hang out with friends in the park and play kick-the-can, or play catch on the beach with my brothers..."

The twins tapped on my shoulders impatiently. "Kyoko, we're thirsty," Kaoru said. "Yeah," Hikaru added. "Let's go have some tea-!" I hushed him quickly, still listening to Kasanoda.

The future yakuza chief turned to Mori-senpai. "Morinozuka-senpai, you must tell me how someone like _you_, with your lifeless eyes, wooden expression, and face that looks like it belongs on a guard dog of hell, _how do you get people to like you?_" He dropped back down to his knees, prostrating. "_Please teach me your secrets!_"

_...wow..._ Mori-senpai looked like he was in shock, which honestly seemed like the most expression I'd ever seen him wear...ever. The twins had broken out into laughter, while it seemed like Mori-senpai's soul was about to leave his body for good. "Okay, you can be his disciple!" They snickered loudly, shaking Kasanoda's hands. "This is gonna be killer entertainment!"

"Stop laughing," I scolded them mildly. "Besides, that's not for you to decide!"

"Exactly," Tamaki rose to his feet gracefully, and shrugged. "He wants to be Mori-senpai's apprentice, so only Mori-senpai can decide what to do with him. This isn't something we can stick our necks into."

_Wow, that was surprisingly mature of you Tamaki,_ I stared at the blonde curiously. Normally he'd be itching to butt in and make plans. Haruhi was staring up at him as well in surprise.

In the end, Mori agreed to 'train' Kasanoda, so to speak. This training, from what I was made aware of, pretty much involved him shadowing Mori throughout the day. He would carry his bags, dust his blazer, and basically just do whatever Mori wanted even if the third year hadn't asked.

In a way, his dedication was kind of cute, had it not had the effect of scaring away a few of Mori-senpai's customers. "The future seems pretty bleak of this keeps up," Hikaru commented after several girls had run away crying when Kasanoda had appeared to remove some dust from Mori-senpai's shoulder. "He's scaring away the customers..."

"I'm sorry, but wasn't this your idea in the first place?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

"Still, he is trying," Haruhi sighed, and I nodded, watching him apologise over and over to Mori-senpai.

Kaoru turned to Tamaki. "Aren't you going to do something about this, boss?"

The blonde shrugged like he had before. "As I said, this really is Mori-senpai's problem, so..." At that moment, Mori turned to Tamaki and flashed him a look that clearly said _help me!_ "Well, if Mori-senpai needs my help, then I will gladly suffer the flames of hell to offer it!"

"He really just needed an excuse to get his hands on this, didn't he?" Haruhi muttered as Tamaki walked over to Kasanoda.

He knelt down in front of the depressed yakuza heir. "Raise your head, Bossa Nova!" He grinned.

"It's Kasanoda."

"You can just call me King for now, Bossa Nova," he ignored him. "Now, listen up! Although you and Mori-senpai have little in common, there is one definitive thing that you lack," he pointed at him. "A 'lovely item'!"

_A whatnow?_ Tamaki gestured to Honey-senpai. Ah, of course. Honey was small, cute, and survived on cakes and sweets. By being in close proximity to him, and by expressing care for him (and vice-versa), Mori-senpai became likeable by association. Instead of viewing him as cold and unsociable, he was viewed as kind, protective, caring, and dashingly stoic.

Or, at least that was how I explained it to myself. It made sense.

Tamaki nodded knowingly. "You could even say that Mori-senpai's charm is all due to Honey-senpai!"

"I see!" Everyone else nodded in understanding. "That means that Mori-senpai doesn't even have to do anything!" I sucked in a breath quietly and looked away. _Wow, we sure aren't pulling any punches here are we?_

While Honey began to tear up in the background, leaving Mori-senpai to apologise/calm him down, Tamaki sighed and shook his head. "However, Honey-senpai has taken out a long-term contract with Mori-senpai, and is unavailable..." The crying got a bit louder, as did the apologies. "We'll need to find something else for you. Until then, we need to do something about that hoodlum fashion of yours...Hitachiin brothers?"

"Sir, yes sir!" They promptly dived at him, and dragged him away.

I linked my arm with Haruhi's. "I think we should just stay out of this as much as we can."

"Seconded," she agreed flatly.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"I can't believe you people sent him home with a _child_," I facepalmed when the twins filled me in the next day. "And Shiro, really?" I thought back to the little, piano-playing boy we'd helped all those months ago. "People are going to think he kidnapped him! That was a terrible idea. Kyouya, why did you let this happen?"

Kyouya shrugged nonchalantly, not even bothering to look up from his notebook. "It was the King's idea. I have no part in this."

The twins pouted. "Well the boss said to give him a _lovely item_," they shrugged. "So we found another loli-type, like Honey."

Yes but not an actual _child_! And not one that he barely knows! At least Honey was actually _related_ to Mori! "You two only ever listen to Tamaki-senpai when it's entertaining for you," I exhaled loudly and placed a hand on my hip. "You're both so mean, you know that?" I turned to glance at Kasanoda. I hoped they'd actually _try_ to help him today.

"Alright my good people, assemble!" Tamaki gestured to the large whiteboard on which he'd drawn very basic drawing of what was probably Kasanoda appearing to become nicer, with the words _plastic surgery?_ scrawled underneath. "As of today, the battle to reinvent Bossa Nova's image begins in earnest!" _What about yesterday?_ "Since this is our first day, I know everyone must be feeling anxious, but stay calm! Let the ideas flow!" _So I take it we're not counting yesterday's mess up?_

"STOP PRETENDING LIKE YESTERDAY DIDN'T HAPPEN!" Kasanoda yelled at them. "BECAUSE OF YOU, I SUFFERED SO MUCH HUMILIATION!"

The twins pouted and began to grumble to each other. "What's with the false accusations?" They huffed in wounded tones. "My, how crass..."

"They're never going to admit it, are they?" Haruhi sweatdropped.

"Awful, awful people," I nodded.

Tamaki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bossa Nova, please don't misunderstand," he spoke gently. "It is our sincere desire to help you. Yesterday was simply a mistake brought about by the playful immaturity of the twins and Shiro. I hope you will forgive them."

Well if that wasn't a pretty apology. At least I was sure Tamaki was sorry, and that he at least wanted to help Kasanoda. _He could start by actually remembering his name though. _"I'm sorry..." _Why are you apologising?!_ "Please do as you see fit."

Wow he really was too nice for his own good. If the twins took advantage of him I was going to be pissed. While the rest of the club debated strategies, Haruhi and I made our way over to him. "Hey, um...Cassanova..." she started. Seriously, was I the only one who remembered his name right? "I really think it would be best if you took everything those people say with a pinch of salt."

"Especially the twins," I folded my arms. "If there's something you don't like, you should say so. Don't let them bully you into doing something silly."

His eyes widened and he looked away. "Yeah...but...these people are trusted by big brother Morinozuka, and they also said they'd think their plans through more seriously this time..." he brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Besides, I'm the one causing all the trouble. It's always me..."

_He looks so sad...he really just needs friends. _"Hey, Kasanoda," I smiled. "I'm Daichi, and this is my cousin Fujioka. We're both in 1-A."

"We entered at the high school level," Haruhi tilted her head to the side and gave a friendly smile. "So that sort of makes us buddies, right?"

Extending the hand of friendship, I watched the way his eyes grew wide when she said that. I wondered if we even needed to go through all of these stupid changes, since people should just accept him for who he is anyway. He seemed like a good person beneath the gruffness and awkward bursts of anger. "Do...do you like to play kick the can?" He asked.

"No, not really," Haruhi replied bluntly, and he flinched at the curt words. "Kyoko likes it though." I nodded in agreement. "I guess it couldn't hurt sometimes...when would you be up to it?"

To my surprise, he blushed. He actually blushed and began to stammer. "Well um...I...what about..."

Before he could reply, however, the twins and Tamaki appeared out of _nowhere_ and yanked the two of us away from him. "SO THERE YOU ARE, BOSSA NOVA! WE WERE LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!" _We are all literally in the same room. _"TIME TO GET STARTED ON OUR NEXT PLAN! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR YOU AND HARUHI TO GET INVOLVED, OKAY?"

_Um, okay?_ Haruhi and I stared as he was dragged away by the twins and Tamaki. She turned to me. "Should we be worried?"

"Most likely."


	42. Chapter 43

**Sorry for the long wait, but here we are. I own nothing other than Kyoko!**

**Operation Kasanoda**

Previously on _What Has My Life Become? _

The Host Club, and by that I really mean Tamaki and the twins, had launched their plan with the intention of making Bossa Nova – sorry, _Kasanoda _– into someone likeable to other people. A plan that I personally considered dumb, but Kasanoda seemed unopposed to because he trusted the Host Club (another dumb decision).

Honestly, things had just gotten even worse. "Really?" I stared at the twins blankly as several girls ran screaming and crying from the room. "Cat ears? What even made you think that would work? And stop laughing!" They both covered their mouths to muffle the snickers.

Tamaki looked genuinely confused. "I don't understand," he frowned. "Everyone knows that kitty ears have always been irresistibly cute to the male population, but Renge assured me that even girls found them attractive."

"Maybe you should have gathered information from a larger number of girls," Haruhi deadpanned.

"Or from people who aren't insane otakus," I snarked.

Even Kyouya had his own two cents to put in. "I don't know if people actually find it attractive or not, but if you ask me, simply sticking a pair of ears on his head isn't going to make his face look any better."

The twins nodded in agreement, which just made me suspicious. "That's just too half hearted, my lord!" They grinned. "If you really want to do something," they suddenly produced a frilly, black and white dress from somewhere. "Then you might as well go all out and make him a kitty-eared maid!"

"No!" I snapped, at the same time that Kasanoda growled at them fiercely. "ARE YOU TRYING TO RECREATE SOME SICK FANTASY? QUIT FOOLING AROUND WITH ME!"

They then pretended to sniffle and cry, whimpering about how scary he was being. I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Oh would you two just-"

"S-Sorry..." _Why are you apologizing?!_ "It's just that I'm feeling frustrated 'cause you guys have been coming up with ideas for a week already...but everyone's still avoiding me..."

_You're so sweet, you don't deserve this. _"There is _clearly_ no reason for you to apologise," Haruhi soothed him. "Everything is _clearly _the fault of these guys and their madcap ideas..."

"Haruhi, how could you be so mean?" Tamaki whined behind her, while the twins complained that she'd repeated the word _clearly _twice.

Kasanoda shook his head, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, this is my fault for being so ungrateful for all the help they've shown me."

_You're so sweet, you REALLY DON'T DESERVE THIS._ "To be honest, I don't see why we need to do all this," I huffed, folding my arms over my chest. "I think you're fine just the way you are." Had I looked behind me, I would have seen the shadow that passed over the twin's faces. "You don't have to go through all this trouble..."

"But...in order to become likeable," he grimaced and looked up with a determined expression, that just looked really threatening. Like, _if this doesn't work I will take the damned dress and make you eat it._ "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!"

_Well, I tried._ Haruhi and I wandered over to the farther corner of the rather spacious room. "Wait, where did that dress even come from?" She suddenly asked, looking at me. That was a good question. Why did they even have that? We blinked at each other for a few seconds, and then I covered my face with my hands while she patted me on the shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

A couple of minutes later, we wandered back and I twitched with...shock? Horror? Laughter? Kasanoda had donned the dress, plus the cat ears, and the twins and Tamaki were doing up the ribbons. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, and that expression only added to the scary grimace on his face.

_Wow..._ Someone knocked on the door, and before we could respond the door was pushed open. "Excuse me," a soft-spoken guy with an equally soft-looking appearance appeared in the doorway. "I'm looking for young master Kasanoda..." his voice trailed off when he spotted said young master dressed in a maid uniform, with cat ears. _Oh wow._

"HAAAAAAAAH?!" Kasanoda yelled/growled at the now babbling subordinate. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?! GET LOST!" The man ran out of the room, still babbling apologies, while Haruhi tried to calm Kasanoda down. Once she did, he looked stricken. "I did it again," he sank down to his knees. "It was just a reflex action..."

_A really extreme one,_ I sighed. This was going to be so much more work than it actually warranted.

The next morning, as per usual, Haruhi and I were greeted by the twins. Me in their usual tactile manner that sometimes included kisses. Our attention was then caught by Kasanoda offering to carry Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai's bags. "Well, well, well," they both said. Hikaru hooked a hand over my shoulder and stroked the back of my neck, while Kaoru patted the top of my head and rested his elbow on my shoulder. "It looks like Mori-senpai's finally accepted him as his disciple."

Unrelated to the story, but I kind of liked how they had both reached for me without even looking in my direction. We made our way over to say good morning to them, only for someone (I don't know who) to notice that Mori-senpai's fingers were injured. A small crowd of worried onlookers promptly gathered around to assess the (miniscule) damage, which he claimed was a result of cutting his fingers on some glass.

Then, out of nowhere (and that was happening a lot recently), a bucket came hurtling through the window. It would have hit someone and hurt them badly, had Mori-senpai not raised his arm and blocked the incoming missile. There was silence for a second, and then cries of _who threw that?_ and _Mori-senpai are you okay?_ rose up.

Kasanoda leaned to stare out of the window. "There's someone outside the window-_urk!_" Mori-senpai grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and yanked him back inside, slamming the window shut. Not a second later, several projectiles hit the glass. _Rotten eggs?_ I stared at the disgusting white and yellow slime sliding down the glass. _That's gonna be a bitch to clean up._

That wasn't the end of it. All through the day, things continued to happen to Mori-senpai. An encyclopaedia was thrown at him, a flowerpot fell from its perch on a classroom window ledge, a VCR, some roof tiles...anyone else would have been covered in bruises, or concussed. "Did you break a mirror or something?" Hikaru asked.

"Maybe you stepped on Beelzenef by accident!" Tamaki wailed.

Kasanoda grunted loudly. "This isn't the time to be spouting rubbish! I was there during every attack, and it's pretty clear that _someone_ has a grudge against Morinozuka-senpai!"

That was enough to quell the chatter for a few seconds, and then the twins made loud sounds of incredulous dissent and wrapped themselves around me. "No way, how could anyone have a grudge against him of all people?"

_Well, anyone could have a grudge against anyone really. You could be the sweetest person in the universe, and someone would still hate at least something about you._ Still, even Kyouya didn't seem to think that it was possible for anyone could have it out for Mori. "If you'd like, I could introduce you to this exorcist I know..."

"It could be faster to get Nekozawa-senpai to do it..." the twins said.

"We're not holding an exorcism for Mori-senpai," I groaned, trying to talk them out of that incredibly illogical decision. With that, and Honey singing the word _exorcism_ over and over, it was no wonder that none of them noticed when Kasanoda left the room.

Honestly, I didn't notice either. Not at first anyway. I carefully wriggled out from Kaoru's arms, drawing their attention. "Where are you going?"

Okay, had I told them that I was going to look for Kasanoda, they would have insisted on coming and I was getting kind of tired of the way they were treating him. I knew that this was the way the twins treated people that weren't a part of their world, and while I couldn't hate them for it (I could never hate them, to be quite honest), I didn't want to condone it. So I said, "I'm going to look for Haruhi."

Which wasn't _quite_ a lie because, now that I thought about it, I did kind of want to find Haruhi. I hadn't seen her since clubs had started. She was probably on her way up.

Luckily I didn't have to look for too long. After about ten minutes of popping my head into random classrooms, I passed by a window in the hallway and spotted a shock of red hair kneeling over something in the school garden. Beside the red was a smaller person with dark brown hair.

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but why does this school not have escalators, or elevators? It's big and full of rich people's kids, and there are way too many stairs! "There you are!" I gasped when I finally reached them. "Kasanoda! I'm so sorry about the twins-" I blinked in surprise as the thing they were bent over gave a tiny chirp.

It was a bird, a tiny brown sparrow with an injured wing. It was sitting in a basket padded with layers of downy cloth and blinking up at us out of black eyes. "Kasanoda was telling me about it," Haruhi said as I crouched down close to her. "He said he found him under one of the trees where he had broken his wing."

Kasanoda's face was pink, and he only got pinker when I turned to stare at him. "The vet said he should heal up soon," he looked away quickly.

_Awwww. _"Mind if I feed him?" Haruhi asked. He nodded stiffly, and produced a small bag of birdseed from his pocket. Haruhi sprinkled a little into her hand, and held it out to the tiny bird, enticing it to hop into her hands with a tiny chirp.

"Awww," I cooed softly, watching it peck at the birdseed. "He's so cute! Can I hold him?" Haruhi transferred the bird (and a bit of the seed) into my hands, and I watched in awe as he chirped at me, giggling at the ticklish sensation of the pecking.

Kasanoda suddenly yelled something unintelligible when I handed the bird back, startling the two of us, and the bird too. "I'm sorry!" He apologized amidst the terrified cheeps.

"You said you were an animal lover, didn't you?" Haruhi recalled. "I think you mentioned kittens before."

He nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, but they always run away from me. The only animals I can get close to are the injured ones." He told us about a cat he'd found when he was younger. He'd been embarrassed about it, so he'd kept it at the back of the house and out of sight. He found a towel for a bed, and even built a windbreaker so it wouldn't get cold. "I really liked taking care of it, but then one day the brothers found it and..."

And built a bigger house for the cat, bought a bowl and food for it, and found a proper bed. They had done it in secret, apparently, because they were scared of Kasanoda. I blinked at him. "I don't think that was the case..."

"They are," he sighed, stroking the top of the sparrow's head with gentle fingers. "The guys at home are such caring, compassionate people. That's why I want to develop lasting friendships with them, so that I can become the good chief they expect me to be."

Haruhi and I stared at him silently, and then she brought her fingers to her chin in a thoughtful gesture. "Could it be that you don't realise it...because you don't have self-confidence?" He jerked and stared down at her in surprise. "If you don't have any confidence, then you won't realise tha-!"

Her words were cut off by something slamming into her, splattering on both of us. The sharp smell of paint reached my nose, and I stared down at the dark red paint staining the both of us (she got the worst of it though). "Haruhi, are you okay?" I reached up to wipe away a dollop of the paint on her cheek.

The sounds of a struggle reached us, and we turned to stare in surprise as the Mori-senpai appeared with two men he had held in a chokehold. "Kyoko, are you okay?" The twins ran to me. Kaoru took my face in his hands, turning it this way and that, before kissing the side of my head in relief when he found no injuries. Hikaru pressed his face into my hair and exhaled softly. "You had us worried."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I smiled up at them. "It was just a balloon filled with paint. Haruhi got the worst of it," I glanced over to where my cousin was being fussed over by Tamaki. "At any rate," I leaned over to stare at the two men who had now been tied up. "Who are those?"

The two snarled at us, but mostly at Kasanoda. "Oy, Kasanoda, ya no good piece of trash! Not only did ya kidnap our young master, ya even went and employed bodyguards to cover yer lousy behind! Yer nothin' but a dirty, low-down kidnapper! Give us back our young master!"

_What is going on? And how did they get into the school? What the hell, there are children of politicians, CEOs and TV stars here and the security sucks this badly?_ Someone should sue and make money of this, just a thought.

"Oh right," Honey spoke as though the thought had totally slipped his mind. "They were actually targeting you. We thought it would be best not to let you know about it though." At Kasanoda's stunned expression, Honet added. "Yesterday, Takashi found shards of glass and a cutter in your locker."

Oh, that explained why his fingers were injured. "But...why...why did you help me...?"

Mori-senpai stared down at him, and patted him on the head. "I could tell who the evil one really was."

"If you'd only stand tall and be yourself, there are definitely people in this school who will accept you as you are," Tamaki smiled. "And if there is someone with deep feelings of friendship for you, then you can be sure that they are trying to convey it..."

The redheaded boy stood there in shock, the words affecting him deeply. I smiled, and then looked down at the stained uniform I was wearing. _I wonder how long it would take to get these stains out.._. "I _thought _I recognised you two half-wits crawling around the school!"

It was the soft-spoken, soft-looking boy from earlier, only less soft-spoken. He marched past us and glared down at the two tied up men, who suddenly looked terrified. "You don't even have the courage to fight someone fair and square? How dare you resort to such dirty tricks?" He got right in their faces, and now he was less soft-looking. "You just don't know when to quit, do you? Don't you get it, I left because I couldn't stand you people anymore. And if you ever lay a hand on the young master again, _I'll make you wish you'd never been born._"

The man, Tetsuya, explained (after making the two guys cry) that he was the young master of another gang. At least, he was until he fought with his father over the gang's methods and ran away from home. He had nowhere else to go, until Kasanoda found him sitting on a street corner, hunched over in the rain, and brought him home with him.

He told us that all the brothers knew Kasanoda was nice, that sentimental movies made him cry, that he always secretly bought a cake for their birthdays, and left presents by their pillows at Christmas while they slept. That they knew that he was painfully shy and awkward, so they pretended not to know so he wouldn't feel embarrassed.

_This is the most touching thing I have ever been present for,_ I could feel myself tearing up. Haruhi grabbed my hand and pulled me away. "Don't cry," she looked amused. "We should go change out of these clothes."

"But I wanna see how it ends!" I pouted, sniffling quietly as she continued to drag me away. "Fine, I think there may be some spare clothes in the Music Room that we can wear."

There were extra clothes. Haruhi had suffered most of the damage, with red paint all over her shirt, jacket and trousers. There was large paint splatter on my shirt and skirt, and a little on my jacket. "You know," I commented as I shrugged off the blazer and began unbuttoning my shirt. "This is what the uniforms should look like. Why are the female uniforms yellow and puffy?"

"My question is, why are you allowed to get away with not wearing the female uniform?" Haruhi arched an eyebrow as she unbuttoned her own shirt.

I rolled my eyes as I peeled off the top, revealing my blue bra. "Because I look amazing like this," I replied, posing like a swimsuit model. She rolled her eyes and laughed. "And also because scholarship students can be exempt from wearing the uniform. You should know this," I pulled on a fresh shirt and unzipped my skirt. There wasn't a spare one of those, so I planned to wear one of the trousers.

Haruhi had just pulled off her shirt, the fabric still caught at her elbows, while I was sitting on the ground and pulling off my skirt and tights, when the door suddenly flew open.

And standing in the doorway, eyes wide and horrified, was one Kasanoda Ritsu. Now, I don't know why Haruhi didn't reach too badly, other than to turn away with a sound of surprise to cover her lacy-bra-covered chest. Maybe all the pretending to be a guy had numbed her to things like this. Maybe it was because it was Haruhi.

But I decided to scream.

I will always be embarrassed of that, because it was the highest, most girlish yelp of alarm that had ever left my mouth, and it jolted Kasanoda out of his frozen state. He stammered something and promptly slammed the door shut. Haruhi and I stared at the door silently, and then she snorted. "I didn't know you were capable of making that noise."

"Shut up, he surprised me!" I felt myself flushing red. I hurriedly changed into the spare trousers and zipped it up. "Oh god, that was embarrassing..."


	43. Chapter 44

**Next chapter update! Warning, this chapter features incredibly possessive yandere!Hikaru and yandere!Kaoru, as well as casual threats. This chapter is also shorter then my normal chapters because, tbh it was meant to be part of the last chapter. I own nothing except Kyoko.**

**EDIT: And by that, I did not mean that this story was ending! IT'S NOT ENDING, NOT EVEN CLOSE, I only meant that this chapter was meant to be part of the _former _chapter. I'm sorry if I made anyone worry!**

**Jealousy Really Is A Strong Emotion**

Kasanoda slammed the door shut, his heart racing uncomfortably fast for two reasons, maybe more.

First of all, Haruhi was a girl?! True he had thought that the small host was especially effeminate, but he hadn't actually expected it to be _true!_ Secondly, _he had seen her in her underwear!_ Even worse, he'd walked in on _two_ of them in their underwear! He'd seen the two of them in various stages of undress!

The words and images spun round and round in his mind in a confused swirl, and he flushed a darker shade of red and groaned.

"_You saw her, didn't you...?_" The red flush faded immediately, replaced immediately by a terrified pallor. The twins glared down at him, their eyes dark and full of violence as they backed him against the door, almost snarling. "_You saw her, didn't you? How much of her did you see? You saw that slender, soft skin that even we haven't seen before, didn't you?_"

Kasanoda panicked, flailing wildly as he tried to explain himself. "I DIDN'T REALLY SEE ANYTHING! I MEAN, I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE, BUT IT WAS SO QUICK THAT I-!"

His loud, constant stammering and tripping over his words only annoyed the twins even more. "You know, Bossa Nova," Honey's cheery tone became downright dangerous as he approached. "_I really hate guys who fool around._"

_How is it that the 'lovely item' is one of the scariest things present?! _"What do we do, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked his twin casually, their mutual anger forming an almost tangible black miasma around them. This _person_ had seen Kyoko while she was undressing. He couldn't go unpunished. "He saw our Kyoko, and he knows Haruhi is a girl now."

Hikaru clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Then I guess there's only thing to do then," he said, pulling out a baseball bat while Kaoru held Kasanoda in place. "We'll just beat him until he loses his memory!"

They were both quite willing to bash Kasanoda's brains out until he forgot (or until he suffered permanent brain damage, whichever came first), and when you think about it that is really quite terrifying, so you can imagine his relief when Kyouya spoke up. "Oi, oi, cut it out! I don't need to dirty my hands trying to cover up your crime."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?" The twins yelled at him, briefly suspending their plan. "If you had mentioned earlier that they were changing, none of this would have happened! And look at Tamaki!" Hikaru pointed to the shell-shocked remains of the blonde. "He's become an empty shell! We refuse to hang around him in this state!"

Kyouya inclined his head thoughtfully. "Well, so do I, but the cat is truly out of the bag now. I suppose the only proper course of action is a civil discussion. Kasanoda," he turned his attention to the redhead. "Haruhi has to conceal the fact that she is a girl, due to several reasons that we cannot disclose to you. She also had to become a member of this club, where it would be more of an advantage for her to be seen as male rather than female. Kyoko, as Haruhi's cousin, decided to assist Haruhi by also joining the club."

The reason was vague, the explanation even more so. It all sounded incredibly suspicious, and Kasanoda wondered if they were both being forced to stay in the club for some other nefarious reason. After all, two girls surrounded by boys...

Kyouya adjusted his glasses. "While we can't physically force you to cooperate exactly, there is something I would like for you to keep in mind. Coming from the sort of family you do, I'm sure you're very familiar with the many rumours surrounding the Ootori family's secret police force?" His aura changed into one of deceptively blithe menace. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to make an enemy of them, right?"

_Discussion?! This is blackmail!_

"Come on guys," the door to the music room opened and Haruhi stepped out, followed by a faintly red but relatively normal Kyoko. "Stop scaring Cassanova. I'm really sorry for giving you such a shock," she turned to him with an earnest look.

Kyoko snorted. "I'm not," she muttered, feeling slightly catty after suffering that much embarrassment at the hands of someone she barely knew. As soon as the words were out, she regretted them just a tad. "Sorry, Kasanoda, I know you didn't actually mean to barge in on us."

"You know, it's okay if you want to tell other people about me," Haruhi told him. "I really don't mind."

_This is bad, _Kasanoda gulped. _Now that I know Fujioka's a girl, she looks even cuter! _She and her cousin looked incredibly similar, now that he looked at them properly. Fujioka's wide-eyed honesty, and Daichi's red-faced mumbling, it was..._it was..._

An arm wrapped around Daichi's neck, drawing her back against one of the twins. "Well, well Bossa Nova," the second twin said, strolling around from behind him to stand next to his brother. "Now that you know that _Haruhi's_ a girl, are you in love with her?"

It was a clear act of possessiveness, even if he hadn't made eye contact and been stunned at the cold way they glared at him over the top of Daichi's head. It was there in the arm around her shoulders, and the one snaking around her neck. There in the way one twin had yet to put down the bat, and in the way they had refused to add her name to the question.

_You aren't allowed to like __**her**__._

All of this occurred over her unsuspecting head, and now he really was freaked out. He wasn't sure what he would have said in response to their question however, as Tamaki happened to hear those words from whatever dark, and empty mindspace he had locked himself in, and proceeded to let loose what sounded like a horrified scream interspersed with the word 'no' repeated over and over.

Hikaru sighed and looked down at Kyoko, and then Haruhi. "We're glad you're both okay. When we heard Kyoko scream like that..." he poked her cheek gently. "You really had us worried there."

"We need to keep perverts away from you both," Kaoru sighed, stroking her hair. "Especially our doll. We can't just let _anyone_ see how cute you look, it's not fair."

"You're both perverts yourselves," she rolled her eyes, seemingly comfortable between the two of them. It threw Kasanoda for a loop. The coldness had dissipated the second they focused on her, replaced with warmth and easy camaraderie. Casual touches, skin against skin, the way they looked at her...were the three of them uncommonly friendly? Would anyone act so possessive over someone they considered just a friend? So, wait, was she _with _both of them?

Kasanoda recalled their black expressions, and was afraid to ask.

"It's best not to ask anyway," Fujioka told him, following his gaze. "And it's best not to get in the way either."

* * *

oOo

* * *

The day was finally over, and most people had gone home – Tamaki had been loaded into his car, still comatose – and Kasanoda had quite a lot to think about. His head was still filled with the image from the afternoon, although he couldn't think of Daichi's face without feeling a chill down his back.

Those twins, he had never spoken to them before, but he had heard of them: Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. He didn't know much about them, but he was wary of them. Daichi seemed at ease with them, but the way they had glared at him when she couldn't see, they seemed dangerous.

He sighed and turned a corner, and jerked back when he caught sight of the two devils waiting by the car park. "Hello, Kasanoda," they said, using his name. _They had known it all this time!_ "We just wanted to talk to you a bit before you went home."

There was no car for him, and the front of the school was empty. Kasanoda swallowed. "A-About what?"

They arched their eyebrows, and he almost shuddered at how scarily in sync they were. "Don't act stupid," one twin said frostily. "You know exactly what we're talking about, so just be quiet and let us do the talking."

Normally Kasanoda was used to being the one terrifying people just by looking at them, but he had never been on the receiving end of anything similar. "Kyouya-senpai was right," the first twin exhaled softly. "We can't harm you physically. Not only would we get in trouble, it would just look sloppy."

"And we don't want to upset our doll," the other folded his arms across his chest. "She's cute, and we know how friendly she is to people. Honestly, it's one of the reasons we love her."

They suddenly stepped closer, their eyes shadowed and dark. "But we don't want you getting any ideas," they said together. "Kyoko is ours," they got closer, backing him up further and further until his back was pressed against the wall. "You don't have a chance with her, and if you even _think_ about getting closer to her without us knowing, _we won't be happy._"

The twins watched him stammer something, and scramble away. Pleased that they had gotten their point across, Kaoru turned to his twin and cocked his head to the side. "Do you think we overdid it a bit?" He asked. "Kyoko would hate it if she found out we did this."

"He shouldn't have barged in on her like that," Hikaru replied, a little bit of the ice still lingering. "I didn't want him going home with memories of her like that." The very thought of it made them feel sick, and Kaoru conceded the point as they turned to leave and spotted Kyoko herself rushing down the stairs. She seemed equally surprised to see them. "We thought you'd left."

Kyoko shrugged, a few wisps of hair escaping from her ponytail. "I left my clothes in the school laundry room and forgot to go back for them," she explained, gesturing to her freshly washed (and very rumpled) skirt. "Kyouya-senpai said that I couldn't wear the extra uniform unless I paid for it."

"Aw, we would have let you borrow our clothes though," Kaoru grinned as they instinctively settled in by her sides, their arms finding the curve of her waist and the slope of her shoulders. "Should we walk you home, or do you want to come over again?"

She glanced up at them. "Again? It's not going to be like last time, is it?"

Hikaru shrugged. "It could be, if you wanted," he smirked and tugged her collar away from her neck. "How's that hickey though? I think we may to replace it, Kaoru."

"You will do no such thing!" Kyoko yelped, half struggling to squirm out from under them. "Hey, don't touch my neck! That tickles!"

"We could even make them darker this time, Hikaru!" Kaoru snickered when she squeaked and managed to escape, skipping just out of reach.

"You're both so mean to me!" She half groaned, half giggled, and spun around to face them, the pink and gold hue of the sunset catching on her skin and the flyaway strands of hair. "Honestly, I don't know why I like you both so much." They didn't realise they were staring until she blinked at them. "What?"

"Nothing," they replied, taking her hands. "Let's go home."


	44. Chapter 45

**Hi, I see a lot of people love yandere!twins so, considering their personalities, that might be appearing in future chapters. I own nothing other than Kyoko!**

**Playing Host**

The next day, which gave me approximately 24 hours to calm myself down and recover from the embarrassment of the previous day, saw a few changes. The first began in the morning, as Haruhi and I became more aware of Kasanoda. Truth be told, we'd never quite noticed him prior to the previous events. What with Haruhi's ability to not care about anything not related to her, and me constantly either being with her, or with the twins, I hadn't really socialized with anyone outside the Host Club.

Oh dear, that wasn't good was it? My mom was going to scold me.

The second change was Kasanoda himself. I spotted him striking up a conversation Haruhi when we arrived in class, but the second he spotted he spotted me coming over, he suddenly stammered something and power-walked out of the class.

"Well that was weird," she said to me. "Maybe he had somewhere to be?"

At break, I went to buy a drink from the school vending machine, and nearly bumped into him coming around the corner. "Sorry!" I apologised.

"N-No problem," he replied, his eyes shifting away from me nervously.

I arched an eyebrow at him, and then squeaked when a weight appeared on the top of my head. "Kyo-ko, you were taking too long," Kaoru spoke into my ear. "Ah, it's Bossa Nova!" I have no idea what his expression was, but when I turned back to Kasanoda, he was sweating nervously and backing away.

"S-S-SORRY!" He ran away in the same direction he had come.

_Well that was weird..._ I twisted my neck to stare at Kaoru. "What did you guys do to him?"

The twin blinked down at me, widening his eyes so he looked innocent and guileless. "Aw, why would you think that we'd do anything Kyoko?" _Because I know you both. _He squeezed me tighter. "Come eat with us anyway."

Kasanoda was avoiding me, but not Haruhi, and there was a 99% chance that the twins had something to do with it. Unfortunately no matter how much I asked, they wouldn't tell me, and distracted me with gourmet food.

The third change was the biggest surprise, as the Host Club saw the arrival of a new face in the Music Room. Well, not so much a new _face_ as a new _customer_.

_What is he doing here?_ Curious whispers filled the air as Kasanoda entered into the room. He marched over to the first empty seating arrangement he saw, and plonked himself down on the plush couch with an air of awkwardness.

After a second of nervous fidgeting, he turned to Kyouya-senpai. "I would like to designate Fuijoka, please."

_What?! Is he serious? Is he that kind of guy? A forbidden romance!_ Those were just some of the things I heard in response to Kasanoda's unexpected choice. "Oh wow," I murmured to Haruhi as I prepared the tea blend and the snack tray like Kyouya-senpai had taught me ages ago (apparently throwing some tea and a plate of biscuits on a tray just didn't cut it in high society). "I guess he did fall in love with you yesterday. Nice work."

"Stop it," she said, watching me pour the hot water over the tea leaves and into the teapot. "He probably just wants to talk, since we're buddies right? He was so jumpy all day."

_You're so dense when it comes to relationships it's almost impressive,_ I stared at her silently, and then nudged her away when she tried to take the tray. "No, I'm the server here, so go host and let me do my job."

_I also really want to get closer because this looks like it might be interesting. Please don't let him freak out again._

I followed behind her until we reached the table. "Hi Cassanova!" Haruhi smiled blithely as she took a seat next to him. I almost smirked at the bashful way he shuffled to the side to give her space, but the look he shot me bordered on fear. "Looks like you're my customer today, huh?"

"Would you both like some tea? There is also selection of snacks," I snickered internally at how pink his face was whenever he snuck glances at Haruhi's unsuspecting face. "There are sugar biscuits, as well as small cakes and candied fruit..."

He flailed for a moment, reaching for the teapot. "Uh, ah, l-lemme help-!"

I waved his hand away before he could. "Nonsense. Just relax. This is my job after all, right?" I carefully poured two cups of tea into the delicate, shell-pink teacups. "How much milk and sugar would you like?"

"You're both really skilful at this..." Kasanoda mumbled, a hint of awe in his voice.

I shrugged and tucked the empty tray under my arm. "Well, we have been at it for a while..."

"When I first started, I wasn't too familiar with the social rituals and stuff," Haruhi explained. "But I soon realised that if I relaxed and enjoyed myself, then everything would be fine," she giggled and picked up a teacup. "I sometimes like to think that each table setting tells a story."

Kasanoda flushed even more. "R-Really? Th-Then this one would be-!"

_Crash!_ "Whoops, how clumsy of us!" The twins backed away from the table that they had 'accidentally' bumped into, and I surveyed the destroyed tea setting. They had knocked over the sugar bowl and teacups, spilling tea and ruined sugar all over the place.

_Great, now I have to clean all this up. _I sighed and turned to glare at the two of them, and they looked mildly repentant. However, when I turned back to Haruhi and Kasanoda, the latter's expression had bypassed fear and was now edging on terrified. When I turned back, Hikaru and Kaoru had already walked away.

"Are you really okay being around such high-strung people?" Kasanoda asked Haruhi while I wiped away as much of the tea as possible before it permanently stained the table and Kyouya decided to add that to our debt. The cakes and snacks were saved though, which was a relief. It would have been a huge waste to throw them all away. "I mean, you're pretty gentle..."

"Mmm, but it was kind of my own fault that we're both here," Haruhi replied. "And they've been really good to Kyoko and I. Look," she dug into her pocket and pulled out a gorgeous gold ornament with pictures of them in each link. "It's supposedly done in the style of the Russian imperial era. It's so precious I can't bear to put it on."

"Oh, and the twins got me this!" I pointed to the silver, chain-link necklace just peeking out of my collar. There was a locket attached to it in the shape of a heart and their pictures took up the space in it.

"And remember when they sent us gourmet meat?"

"Haruhi, you were in so much shock you could even barely taste it."

"Oh? Then what about that dress the twins got you that you don't wear?"

"That dress has imported silk and diamonds sewn into it! What about those cutesy vouchers Tamaki made for you?"

Huh, now that I thought about it, the Host Club really were taking care of us. "I...I guess that's kind of nice..." Kasanoda stuttered. I finished cleaning up the tea as best as I could and got to my feet. "But...doesn't it bother you at all?"

_Bother us? _"I guess so..." I murmured, glancing at Haruhi. "I mean, if we keep this up, we might get lazy and forget that we have ambitions beyond this club, and that we have to work to be self-sufficient."

Haruhi nodded in agreement. "That does bother us, yeah. Hey, isn't that great?" We both giggled. I had never been reliant on the twin's generosity, but this conversation reminded me that I probably needed to ask them to tone down the gift giving. At the very least, they needed to stop giving me really expensive stuff that I would never be able to pay them back for my lifetime.

_Thud. Thud. Thud. _"Tamaki-senpai?" The King had been unusually quiet all day. Actually, he'd been pretty much catatonic ever since yesterday. At least now he was walking even if he wasn't talking. "Hey, there's no space over here!" Haruhi grabbed him and pushed him over to her other side when he tried to sit between them. "Don't get in the way. You can play with this if you need something to do."

Puzzle rings she'd gotten at the supermarket after our usual instant coffee run. These were two hoops that you needed to separate from each other. They were a dime a dozen, but pretty tricky to solve if you didn't know how.

_I'm getting really worried about him now, _I decided to leave them alone since my presence seemed to be agitating Kasanoda. _He should be freaking out that someone wants to corrupt his 'precious little girl'. _

_Speaking of people who aren't okay with the situation,_ I walked over to the twins and fixed them with a stern look. "What was that?"

"An accident," they replied in sync.

"Yeah right," I rolled my eyes. "Please don't make extra work for me."

Hikaru huffed, but they both nodded. "We're sorry, Kyoko~." I heard quiet coos as they leaned down to kiss my cheeks. "We haven't kissed you in a while, have we?"

"DADDY OBJECTS!" Oh, that was Tamaki's voice. Apparently he'd recovered from his autopilot state. "DADDY WON'T ALLOW IT!"

Tamaki was in full angry rant mode now. "BOSSA NOVA! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO DO HERE?! SHOULDN'T YOU BE SEIZING THIS TIME TO BOND WITH YOUR BROTHERS?! DIDN'T YOU WANT TO PLAY KICK THE CAN WITH THEM? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? IF YOU WANT TO GET CLOSE TO HARUHI OR KYOKO, IT'LL BE OVER THEIR DADDY'S DEAD BODY!"

_Oh god, someone please stop him._ Kasanoda blinked, confusion replacing a bit of the fear. "'Daddy'? Wait, you're Fujioka's father? That's impossible! Besides, she and Daichi are cousins!"

Tamaki retreated a bit in surprise at the questions. "W-well, not by blood, but I'm kind of their father figure..."

"So, what, are you married to one of their moms then?" He pressed, arching an eyebrow. _Oh no, he's backing Tamaki into a corner. _

"I-I've never actually met either of them," Tamaki replied, stepping backwards. _Hey, maybe this is a good thing! Maybe he'll finally wise up and realise that he likes Haruhi and quit with all this father nonsense._

Kasanoda scoffed. "Then you're not really her father, are you?"

_Boom._ The silence was near tangible, and then Tamaki collapsed like a balloon that had lost all its air. "Tama-chan, I'll catch you!" Honey ran and caught the flat, lifeless figure that used to be Tamaki.

I blinked, and glanced at the twins. "I...shouldn't we go check on him or something?"

"He'll be fine," Kaoru pressed his cheek against the side of my head.

Hikaru nodded, hooking an arm around my waist. "Maybe this is for the best. This family thing was getting boring anyway. You're much more interesting..."

"I don't mean to interrupt your little session," Kyouya spoke up. "But he's waking up now."

Surely enough, Tamaki's eyes slowly slid open. His expression was pensive and anxious. "I...I need to sort this out..." he muttered. _I'm sorry, sort what out?_ "If, supposing, that I'm not my Haruhi's daddy after all..." _There is no supposing involved._ "Then...how can it be that I find her so utterly adorable?"

...what? "What are you talking about?" Hikaru asked.

"Why is it that whenever I see her with another man, I become so insanely jealous?" _Is he for real? Is he seriously asking this?_ "I'm not her father, so I have no right to feel so protective over her." _He is. He is asking this, holy shit._

Hikaru and Kaoru stared at him, probably in as much shock as I was over his complete obliviousness to what was really going on. "Then, what's the deal about wanting to make Haruhi your wife one day?" Hikaru tried.

He turned to us with the most forlorn and confused face I had ever seen. "I know! Daddies don't usually want to marry their little girls when they're all grown up do they?" _NO! NO THEY DON'T._

"Then, why are you always trying to stop her from kissing anyone?" Kaoru queried.

"I only want to preserve the purity of her lips..."

_Someone punch him, please, I don't even know how to feel right now._ "Preserve, huh? Could it be that you don't want anything to destroy the friendship that we all share now? So you created this whole family situation to keep things from changing?"

Hikaru blinked at his twin in confusion. "Kaoru...?"

"...never mind." I squeezed his hand gently to show that I understood what he was trying to say. At any rate, _oh my god he's an idiot. He's such an idiot, I thought Haruhi was dense but nope, he takes the cake. _

Kyouya adjusted his glasses. "He has got a point. I mean, I knew you were delusional but I never knew you were so..." he trailed off and looked away.

"Tama-chan's completely blind when it comes to himself!" Honey chirped. _You can say that again._

Hikaru exhaled loudly, and then turned to Kaoru. "Hey, Kaoru, what was that back there anyway?"

"Nothing," Kaoru ground out, squeezing my hand. "Just a theory I had, that I'm probably completely wrong about..."

"Nah, I think there's a bit of truth in it," I smiled. "At any rate, we should educate him now before something happens and he regresses."

Haruhi's voice floated past us, carrying the words. "_...Tamaki-senpai is like my dad._"

Immediately, Tamaki's head shot up and he began to laugh_. _"Did you hear that?! Did you hear Haruhi say that I'm like her father?" _That's not what she meant! _Although, to be honest, he and Ranka-san did share several personality traits and the similarity in the way they both treated Haruhi was kind of creepy. "AH-HA! SO I MAY NOT BE HER FATHER, BUT I AM LIKE A FATHER TO HER!" He was crying now.

"He regressed. Great," I exhaled loudly. "Well, maybe it's too early for him."

Well now that the drama had receded, I turned my attention back to Haruhi and Kasanoda. He was asking Haruhi if it would be okay for him to keep coming over to the Host Club. "I-Instead of just being with female companions all the time...since I already knew your secret...maybe it would help you relax?"

"Yes please!" Haruhi smiled. "Designating me would be a big help! Ah, this is great, I can get to know you better now!" The resulting blush on Kasanoda's face was obvious even from where I stood.

Hikaru snorted quietly. "He's so obvious," he said, not sounding annoyed but amused instead. I was reminded of Karuizawa, but neither of the twins seemed angry or worried now that I was standing with them.

_They get so jealous so easily, _I sighed softly. While Hikaru seemed like the twin that would get jealous easily, I got the feeling that Kaoru just happened to be better at controlling his emotions better.

Kasanoda looked like he was psyching himself up for something. His leg was shaking under the table, his face was red, and he was taking deep breaths, preparing himself to confess his undying love to my cousin. The customers tensed, leaning forward in anticipation. Renge looked like she was about to fall off her pedestal with excitement. And then...

"I mean," Haruhi continued. "Isnt it great to be _friends_ with someone you see eye to eye with?"

...the resulting silence was so painful that for a moment, no one could move. Once again, Haruhi had managed to shoot someone down before they'd even gotten a chance to confess to her.

"I mean, I've never met anyone I could talk to so freely before," Haruhi giggled, apparently completely unaware of the atmosphere. "Isn't it great to have a _friend_ like that?"

_Oh my god Haruhi,_ I winced, staring at Kasanoda. "He got rejected! Before he could even confess, his hopes were crushed! Poor thing!" Quiet, empathic whispers filled the room from the other customers. _Poor Kasanoda. I wonder how he'll deal with this._

The redhead inhaled deeply. Although he was probably deeply hurt by Haruhi's unwitting rejection, he nodded and didn't try to force her. "Yes, let's remain good friends!" He replied stiffly, but with conviction. "Good friends!"

Haruhi nodded happily, still not grasping the situation. _I need to have a talk with her about this. _For now though, a crowd of girls gathered around Kasanoda, all sobbing and declaring that they too would be friends with him, that he was so brave, that they would never forget what he had done. Even the twins were dabbing at their eyes and also declaring their companionship, although Kasanoda went white when they did.

_Ah well,_ I watched with a smile. I guess this was all for the best.

* * *

oOo

* * *

Thus, Kasanoda's feelings for my cousin dissipated like smoke in a breeze. However, in place of them he gained a hoard of friends who were happy to play kick the can with him. I had suspected that his feelings for Haruhi were based less on deep emotions, and more on physical attraction and the fact that she was probably the first girl he'd held a decent conversation with.

The kick the can session was well under way, and was turning out to be a fun game for everyone involved. I was happy for Kasanoda, now that he had the numerous friends and acquaintances he'd always wanted.

"Kyoko, let's go!" The twins and I sprinted into the maze and, after several twists and turns, camse across the tiny gazebo where Haruhi and Tamaki were hiding.

"This is our hiding spot!" Tamaki hissed at us, making a shooing motion. "Go get your own!"

They both arched their eyebrows. "My lord, why do you and Haruhi always have to hide together?"

"Idiots! Don't you know that a father has the right to hide with his daughter? Besides, why do you two and Kyoko hide together?"

"Would you really like to know~?"

"STOP."

**Please don't hurt me I'm so sorry but I just binge-watched the entirety of Brothers Conflict and I wrote the first chapter of a story for it and I know I have like three other stories that I should be working on BUT I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL PLEASE DON'T HURT ME.**

**Anyway, I was wondering if I should post it and how many people would yell at me for not working on my other stories. Especially the Hellsing one, damn I need to work on that...**


	45. Chapter 46

**I own nothing apart from Kyoko.**

**Soirees and Kisses**

It was mid-November, and winter had begun now, bringing with it cold winds, and occasional flutters of snowfall. School had ended just a few days ago, but even before it had officially ended a lot of people had either already left, or had made travel plans in preparation to leave. Many were going off to warm places, like Hawaii, or Barbados, and others were going off to the snowy mountain range of the Swiss Alps.

The Host Club had not been exempted from this trend, and the twins had mentioned wanting to go to France that Christmas. They had invited Haruhi and myself to come along, but my cousin still didn't have a passport, and we both wanted to spend Christmas at home with uncle Ryouji. I still felt bad that I couldn't see my mom that year, so I didn't feel it would be right to spend the holiday away from family.

I didn't expect to see the twins at all during the winter, unless the Host Club planned to pull another Karuizawa and turn up at our house with absolutely no warning. I hoped they'd at least call first.

Instead what happened was that, on our way home from the supermarket one lovely afternoon, a black car with tinted windows squealed to a stop beside Haruhi and me. The doors flew open, and arms reached out, grabbed us, and yanked us inside. "WHAT THE HE-!?"

"Targets acquired, young masters!" Two voices said into a walkie-talkie, and I realised that our kidnappers were the twin maids that worked for the twins. That could only mean our actual kidnappers were the twins, or the Host Club. "We're bringing them to the mansion, over!"

Haruhi and I stared at each other, and then at the maids. "So..." she drew out the word. "Is anyone going to explain this?"

"We were instructed to bring you both to the Hitachiin home as soon as possible," they responded together.

I arched an eyebrow. "Did those instructions include yanking us off the streets?"

"You were not home. This seemed to be the quickest way."

Both of us sighed. This was so typical, although I did wonder why the twins hadn't come on their own. "Why can't they just _call_ first?" Haruhi wondered.

We arrived at the mansion, with its huge electronic gates and complicated iron gild. To my surprise, it looked like the place was being decorated for something. There were lights strung up in the trees, along with balloons and streamers. There were a lot of people rushing about, carrying items and clipboards.

The people cleared when the car drove in, and I blinked and leaned closer to Haruhi. "I wonder what's going on..."

The second I stepped into the mansion, I was assaulted in a hug. "Kyoko! You came!"

"Yes, because obviously I had a choice," I pulled back and blinked up at them in surprise. They were both dressed in matching black suits. Their hair had been combed down, but parted on opposite sides like usual. I peered around them to stare at the decorated interior of the house. The rest of the Host Club was present, with Tamaki giving a similar treatment to my cousin. They were all dressed in fancy suits with white shirts and black ties. "What's going on anyway? It's a bit too early to be throwing a Christmas party...?"

"It's not a Christmas party," Hikaru said. Kyouya walked over to us, looking especially dapper and sleek. He lowered the notebook he had been writing in. "Our mom wanted us to throw a small party for one of her clients since she's in Paris at the moment."

"_Small?!_"

Kyouya smirked and adjusted his glasses. "They asked for my help in organising it, considering the short notice. I was able to throw something together with the minimal information given."

"_Throw something together?!_" I recomposed myself and sighed. "Okay, but that doesn't explain why we're here. Isn't this for high class people and not 'commoners'?" I made air quotes around the word.

Haruhi stared down at her basic jeans and jumper, and then at my tights and dress. "I think we're just a little underdressed for this."

That was the wrong thing to say. The twins smirked and snapped their fingers, and immediately, a small squadron of maids assembled and surrounded us. _Oh no._ There was nowhere to run, as we were immediately whisked away, yelling and flailing up the stairs, and into a room.

This room was filled with formal evening attire – one half with gowns, and the other with suits (for Haruhi I presumed, in case she wanted to drop the masquerade for one evening). I was reminded of the time we'd gone to Kyouya's water park. "Well then, Fujioka-sama, Daichi-sama," one of the maids smiled cheerily. "Let us choose!"

Half an hour later, Haruhi was dressed in a simple tuxedo with a black bowtie with which she was fiddling with. Her hair had been combed, gelled and parted nicely, and she was wearing white gloves which were sure to annoy her in some way before the night was up.

I was dressed in a indigo blue dress, with a halter neck that was studded with fake crystals (I insisted on them being fake). My hair had been twisted and braided so that it fell over my left shoulder in loose curls.

Haruhi was still struggling with her bowtie. I walked over to her and slapped her hands away from the bowtie, before retying it carefully. "I want to go home," she grumbled to me.

I snickered. "Well, think of the perks: there's bound to be some fancy tuna or something around here!" She immediately perked up at that. "Just make sure you take off your gloves before you start eating."

"Ladies, we're not finished!"

"Huh?"

My makeup took another quarter hour. It would probably have taken longer, but I told them to stick to something basic. Haruhi's only took like five minutes, because she was playing the part of a guy that night, so she stood to the side and watched apathetically as I was powdered and tweezed within an inch of my life.

"You're the worst moral support I've ever had," I gasped when I was finally allowed to breathe.

She blinked at me with wide eyes. "Thanks," she smiled unapologetically. "Nice makeup."

I peered into the mirror next to me, and blinked in surprise. I actually looked...good...and still like myself. They'd used black eyeliner, black mascara, minimal blush, and pink lipstick. "Huh..." I turned my head from side to side to get a better look at the workmanship.

Someone knocked on the door impatiently, and one of the maids went to open it. "Are they done?" I heard someone ask. "Ootori-sama says that the party is going to start soon." A few early bird guests had actually started arriving.

"I suppose it's kind of late to back out now," I sighed.

She nodded, and held out her hand. "Shall we?"

"Smooth," I laughed and took her hand. We walked out of the room and headed to the room where we'd left the Host Club.

Honey was the first to compliment us when we walked in. "You both look great!"

Mori hummed in agreement, and Kyouya eyed us both briefly. "Yes I suppose you both look lovely."

"Aw, thanks Kyo-!" I blinked in surprise when Haruhi suddenly disappeared from my side. I turned around and spotted her in Tamaki's arms.

"YOU LOOK SO CUTE HARUHI!" He was grinning and spinning around with her. "Make sure you dance with me tonight, okay? So cute, so cute, _so cute_!"

I stared at them blankly. _Okay... _"Anyway-!" I turned around and squeaked when I realised that the twins had snuck incredibly close to me while I'd been watching Tamaki and Haruhi. They were both staring at me with odd expressions, and I suddenly felt a bit nervous. "Um...is something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Kaoru raised his hand and lightly traced his finger down my exposed neck and shoulder. He ran the flat of his palm down over my arm to my hand. "You look beautiful, Kyoko."

As sappy and romance-novelesque as this may sound, my heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

Hikaru smirked then, taking my other hand in his own. "Of course! So, would you allow us the honour of escorting you tonight?"

They lifted my hands and kissed my knuckles, and honestly I would probably have swooned had Kyouya's voice not broken the mood. "Alright, alright," he said loudly, drawing all of our attention to him. "Remember the reason for all of this."

"Reason?" I frowned in confusion. "What reason?"

Honey climbed onto Mori's shoulders. "One of the guests here wants one of the twins to marry her daughter!" He chirped. _What?_

"Of course she won't come right out and _say _it," Kyouya said. "But according to the twins, she's been dropping rather obvious hints for quite a while."

The twins shrugged, still holding my hands. "We're not interested," they said bluntly. "We already have Kyoko, so we don't need anyone else."

I blinked several times, and pursed my lips. "So this whole party is to, what? Show me off so that they get the message and leave you alone?" It wasn't that I minded horribly, I just liked to know what was going on when situations involved me.

"Yes, but, we also wanted to spend time with you before we went to France to join our mom." They both squished me between them and pouted at me. "Hey, you're not mad at us, are you? If you're not mad at us, then give us a kiss!"

I squealed, twisting my face left and right to avoid them. "What if I am mad at you?"

"...then let's kiss and make up?"

"Then what's the poin–YOU'RE GOING TO RUIN MY MAKEUP!"

oOo

The thing about fancy parties made to cater to older people, is that they are usually quite boring, and filled with quiet orchestra music so that people can talk about business instead of dancing. The most interesting thing about the whole thing were the tables of food, which were where Haruhi and I were.

I think the twins wanted me to hold onto them for the duration of the party, but at some point Kyouya had dragged them away to talk to someone.

"The Host Club is still really popular even here," Haruhi noted, and I nodded. Beautiful, rich boys, they stood out amongst other guys our age that happened to be present.

I sighed and stole something sugary from her plate, and smirked. "On your left. Looks like you're pretty popular too." Her eyebrows furrowed, and then she turned when someone spoke softly behind her. It was a girl in a green dress with blonde hair who dragged Haruhi away for a dance while I smiled and waved. "Have fun!"

Oh great, now I was alone. I hadn't been aware of it when I was with my cousin, but now I wondered if anyone could tell just how out of place I was. I mean, makeup and new clothes could only do so much for a person.

I caught sight of the twins talking to a woman. Kyouya was discussing something with an older gentleman, and Tamaki...had spotted Haruhi dancing and was sulking. Honey had raided one of the dessert tables, and Mori was standing beside him. I decided to go over to them for company, but as I was walking I was suddenly blocked by someone

It was a guy around my age, maybe a few years older. He smiled down at me suavely. "Are you alone, my lady?"

"Oh, uh..." I took a quick step back in surprise. "I'm here with the Hitachiins, Hikaru and Kaoru."

He looked surprised to hear that. "The Hitachiins, you say? They invited you?" _Well 'invite' is too kind of a word, _I thought to myself with a smile_._ "Well, it looks like they're somewhat busy at the moment. Care to keep me company?"

I glanced around the room, and saw that the woman they had been speaking with had been joined by a younger girl in a pale blue dress. _Is that the girl? _Kaoru turned and spotted me. The smile on his face froze, and I quickly looked back at the man. "Um, I'm sorry, but I don't think that's possible..."

"Don't be shy," he draped an arm around my shoulders, and I tensed in shock. "You know, apparently one of them might soon be married."

"Oh yeah?" I spoke out of gritted teeth. It wouldn't do to make a scene. "Which one?"

He laughed derisively. "Who cares, honestly? One's as good as the other, right?"

"That's a terrible thing to say!" I snapped, throwing off his arm before I could control myself. "How dare you? They're two completely different people!"

The man held up his hands, still grinning. "Whoa, calm down! You're not very cute when you frown like that." I just barely managed to hold back my temper at his words. "By the way, I never got your name."

"Kyoko." I blinked in surprise when the twins appeared at my shoulders. "Are you alright?" Hikaru asked. "We're sorry for leaving you on your own," Kaoru apologised. To my surprise, they both kissed my cheeks, completely ignoring the other man.

Said man sputtered in shock, and he wasn't the only one who was staring in shock. Somewhere in the room, I saw Kyouya pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh.

"What is the meaning of this?" The same girl I'd seen the twins speaking to stormed over to us. She was holding a drink one hand, and up close, she was really very pretty. Her hair was long and strawberry blonde, her eyes blue, and her skin a delicate peaches and cream. The dress accentuated her slender build and lovely posture.

The girl, the future fiancée I assumed, stared down at me with barely hidden disdain. "May I ask who _this_ is?"

"This is our lovely doll, Kyoko!" Neither of them had released me yet, and both were grinning wide Cheshire cat grins, yet even without looking I could tell that there was nothing particularly friendly about them. Hikaru rested his chin on my shoulder, speaking almost directly into my ear. "Right, Kyoko?"

"_Doll?!_" She looked angry enough to spit, and I winced. _Oh god._ "Have you forgotten our agreement? You're engaged to _me_!"

Kaoru cocked his head to the side. "Agreement? I don't remember anything like that. Do you?" He turned to his twin.

"I don't. So..." Hikaru lifted his head, and both fixed the girl with cool glares.

"Which one of us is engaged to you?" They asked at the same time.

The girl floundered for a second, and then huffed. "H-Hikaru, of course."

"Oh?" They arched their eyebrows simultaneously. "And which one of us _is_ Hikaru?"

Here she froze, eyes darting from twin to twin. There were so many other people present and watching, even if they were pretending not to be. I couldn't help feeling nervous. "Um...the one on the...right?"

"_Bzzt!_ Wrong!" They smirked. "You'd have happily married either one of us, wouldn't you? We'd never like someone like you. Not when we already have someone who can _actually _us apart."

Oh no, I really was going to end up swooning if they didn't stop talking. I was so busy being embarrassed that I didn't notice the girl draw her hand back and pour her drink all over my dress. "Hey!" I screamed in shock, the chilled drink seeping through the fabric.

"That's enough," Kyouya appeared, followed by two guards who gently but firmly escorted the girl away. He turned back to the crowd with a cordial smile. "Please excuse that display and do try to return to your previous activities."

The orchestra started up again, and I stared down at the dress in disappointment as the rest of the Host Club gathered around me. "Kyoko, are you okay?" Haruhi asked me. She pulled out a napkin from her breast pocket and began patting down the dress.

"I'm fine," I replied. "I'm sorry about this," I apologised to the twins. "The dress is ruined now."

"No worries," Hikaru cupped my cheek and I inadvertently leaned into the touch. "I'm going to see her off. Kaoru can take you upstairs to change."

Walking around in a wet dress was uncomfortable, and I was glad when we finally made it to the dressing room. The corridor was dimly lit, since no one was present and the majority of the power was going to the lights in the party downstairs. I smiled up at Kaoru. "Thank you. I'll be fine now."

"Sorry we got you into that mess," he said.

I shrugged. "It's alright. At least she'll have to stop chasing you now."

"Were you jealous?" My eyes widened at the words. Kaoru was staring down at me with an odd expression on his face. His eyes were dark, and he wasn't smiling. "We were jealous when we saw you with that guy," he leaned closer and tipped my chin up. I couldn't move, even as his face drew nearer. "You know you belong to us, don't you?"

With that, he kissed me.

**FINALLY! HOLY SHIT SOMEONE HIGH FIVE ME! **


	46. Chapter 47

**Sorry for the wait, family obligations combined with writer's block to equal a late update.**

**While I was gone, Honest Trudy accused me of tampering with, what was it? The number of Favourites and Followers. I can't even find it in myself to be offended for two main reasons: one, his belief is based on the fact that the last chapter(?) apparently got 85 reviews and that's beyond amazing! Two, this story is (apparently) one of the top OHSHC fanfics. **

**I have all of you guys to thank for this (apart from those of you that I clearly made up, because I can _totally _do that, yes, it's one of my secret talents, right next to necromancy and fairy hunting). I'd like to thank FanficJustice for sticking up for me, thank you!  
**

**Thank you all so much, you are all amazing, lovely people! I own nothing other than Kyoko! **

**What Happened Last Night**

"Haruhi?" The girl looked up from the counter she was wiping down at the sound of her father's voice. "Is something wrong with Kyoko?" He bit his glossy bottom lip pensively as he stared in the direction of the entrance room. "She seems a bit...distracted..."

Haruhi followed his gaze to where Kyoko was reading a book. She had been staring at the same page for about twenty minutes now with the exact same blank expression on her face. As they watched, her face suddenly flamed red and she buried her face in the pages for a few seconds, before seeming to shake off whatever had come over her and try to return back to her reading.

"She's been like that for the whole day," Ryouji lamented. None of her behaviour indicated that she was ill, but there was clearly something on her mind. "Did something happen at the party last night?"

Haruhi looked away immediately, and went back to cleaning with more vigour than necessary. "No, I don't think so," she replied quickly. "She'll be fine, don't worry about her. Hey, don't you need to go to work now? You don't want to be late!"

Ryouji frowned at his daughter's obvious attempt to end the conversation, but chose not to question her as he was quickly (and somewhat forcibly) herded out of the house. His niece wasn't acting sad or depressed, so whatever had happened with her probably hadn't been that bad. The uncle sighed, lifted his shoulders in a delicate shrug, and decided to leave things for now.

Inside the apartment, Haruhi plopped herself down beside her cousin and waited to be noticed. Kyoko's distracted dark blue eyes met her narrowed dark brown ones, and Haruhi frowned. "You're oddly quiet today," she commented. "Mind telling me what's wrong?" She asked, her tone equal parts sarcastic and genuinely concerned.

Kyoko's expression changed for the first time in the past hour. "You _know_ what happened, Haruhi!" She wrinkled her nose, furrowed her brow and pouted. "They _kissed _me! _Both of them!_" She buried her face in the book again, and then decided that the paper pages weren't comfortable enough. She replaced it with her arms, which were a far more comfortable cushion for her to groan into. Which she did. Loudly.

The twins had commandeered a limo to take both of them home the night before, since it was late and Kyoko was in too much of a daze to walk home. Haruhi was certain she would have probably gotten lost or something.

Her eyes slid down, and she frowned. "Where'd you get that scarf anyway?" She quizzed, nodding at the silky-looking scarf that had been wrapped several unnecessary times around her cousin's neck. She had been wearing it last night as well. "Did the twins give it to you to keep?" Kyoko twitched, and seemed to sink further into herself at the question. "Kyoko...?"

"What?" Her cousin tried for an innocent expression that might have passed, had her face not been bright red. "Oh, _this_ scarf? Yeah it was...a gift...because, you know how the twins are..." she laughed nervously, feeling painfully obvious under Haruhi's narrow-eyes stare.

Haruhi nodded in feigned agreement. "Oh, of _course!_ Could I look at it for a moment then? We're indoors, right? You don't really need it..."

"No!" Her answer was panicked and immediate, which further fuelled Haruhi's suspicion. "I mean, it's just, I-_gack! Haruhi!_" Kyoko choked when she grabbed one end of the scarf and tried to unwrap it from around her neck. "Haruhi, no! I don't-!" It was too late.

Haruhi stared at Kyoko's neck in surprise. She may have had her thoughts, but she honestly hadn't expected to be proven right. "Kyoko, why are you covered in hickeys?"

Kyoko laughed again, even more nervously this time as the other girl continued to stare at the red and pink bruises that covered her neck and shoulders. She snatched the scarf back, and Haruhi let it go without a fight, still waiting for an explanation. "Ha, funny story actually," she rewrapped the scarf. "Um...remember when I went to change dresses?"

Her eyes widened comically. "You didn't...!"

"Didn't wha-NO!" Kyoko yelled at her. "Bad Haruhi! Get your mind out of the gutter you pervert!"

"_I'm _the pervert?" She widened her eyes and gaped mockingly. "Do I need to ask what you were doing to get _these?_"

She flushed and plucked at the scarf with a pout. "That's, um...stop looking at me like that!" Kyoko whined and shoved her hands in Haruhi's face so she didn't have to see her comically disbelieving expression. "You know what the twins are like!"

"Well _yes_, but I've never seen them like _this_," she grabbed Kyoko's hand and shoved it back in her own face, causing her to squeal. "What happened? Tell me, or I'll tell uncle Ryouji about this!"

Kyoko gasped at the threat. "You wouldn't!" She wouldn't, but she couldn't risk it. If she told her uncle, then he would tell her mom, and it would all go to hell in a hand basket. _Is that how that saying goes? What does that even mean?_ Kyoko groaned and leaned over to bury her face in her shoulder. "Imrgjfhdkb..."

"What?"

"I _torghskhfks..._"

"Let's try that again _without _your face in my shirt."

She brought her head up quickly. "_ItoldthetwinsIlovedthem,_" then stuck her head back in her shoulder, but Haruhi moved and Kyoko ended up flopping into her lap with a surprised_ ack! _instead. "What?" She whined. "I told you! Can't I go back to hiding and clinging to you for emotional security?"

"No," she replied curtly, staring at her cousin with wide but not altogether surprised eyes. "You told them?" Nod. "_Both of them?_" Nod, nod. "They both like you romantically, and neither of them is upset about sharing you?" Nod, nod, nod. In lieu of her shoulder, Kyoko opted to shove her face in Haruhi's stomach – which smelled faintly of noodle soup and bacon – and hide there. The events of the previous night had been playing through her mind non-stop like a broken movie reel.

* * *

oOo

* * *

_My breath hitched somewhere in my throat when our lips touched. If I'd expected Kaoru's kiss to be gentle, then I was sorely mistaken. Yes, it was soft, the way his lips moulded against my frozen ones, but the way he licked sweetly at my lower lips, nipped the flesh, none of that was gentle._

_Hikaru's kiss had been like fireworks: spontaneous, impulsive, a sudden outpouring of emotion and feeling that couldn't be ignored. This was like a candle flame, shining brightly in a dim room with a confession until I could see the light even when I closed my eyes._

_For a moment, I lost myself to the feeling. My arms came up to wrap around his shoulders and I felt his arms wrap around my waist. I suddenly snapped back to myself with a quiet gasp. "Ka-Kaoru!" My voice was muffled. "Kaoru, wait! Wait a minute!" I pulled away and he followed, nuzzling his lips against the corner of mine until I placed my hands on his chest to hold him back._

"_Hmm?" He blinked down at me, and the dazed expression on his face was painfully familiar. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" _

_A hand cupped my cheek, and I suddenly wanted to cry. I loved them both so much, so goddamn much, and it would kill me if I had to give up one of them. How selfish could I be? I was being greedy, so stupid and greedy, because I wanted them both to love me, and I wanted to be able to love them and what made me think I even deserved anything like that?_

_I hadn't even told Kaoru about Hikaru kissing me. I'd ignored it, hoped that it would all go away if I never said anything. Now..._

_The thumb of the hand brushed over my cheekbone. "If you're wondering about the kiss you and Hikaru shared, I already knew about that." My eyes widened and snapped up to stare at him in shock. Kaoru's expression was amused, but tender. "We don't mind, you know." I stared up at him in confusion. "We both love you. We don't mind sharing you."_

_It took a moment for the words to hit me. I felt odd and faint. I felt like someone had pumped me with helium instead of oxygen, and any moment now I'd start floating, but I had to keep all that helium in somehow, so I couldn't speak, could only gaze up at Kaoru in awe while the words replayed over and over in my mind._

_Footsteps in the hallway brought me back down a bit, a little of the helium escaping in a gasp. Hikaru stared at the two of us, a smile playing about on his lips. "Finally got your kiss, huh?" He said to Kaoru, walking over. _

_He didn't stop until he was just as close as his brother, both of them trapping me against the wall. Kaoru grinned at his twin, and slid his eyes down until he was staring at my lips. "She tastes like strawberries," he said._

_Hikaru made a low sound of interest, and narrowed his eyes, following Kaoru's gaze. I can't tell you what it felt like to be stared at like that, like I was the only thing that was worthy of existing in their eyes. I hardly knew where to look, so I just stared at the ground until he tipped my chin up. "Let me see..."_

_His lips barely brushed mine, before I once again returned to my senses and pushed him back. "Stop! Just..." I stared at the ground for a moment, trying to calm myself down and organise my scrambled thoughts. "What's going on? Why did you kiss me? Why do you both keep doing this? I don't..." I swallowed, feeling myself droop in confused defeat. "I don't understand..."_

_Well there went calm organisation._

_They both stared at me, then at each other, and then back at me. "Because we love you," Hikaru answered, echoing Kaoru's words as though it was completely obvious. _

_I blinked up at them in shock, still hardly daring to believe it. "You...love me?" _

"_We both love you," Kaoru clarified, repeating his words from earlier. _

_They both loved me. They'd both admitted...that they loved me...really loved me...I was supposed to reply right? I was supposed to something in response, not stare gormlessly while the helium replaced itself with tickly little champagne bubbles. Say something! I opened my mouth, and what came out was less actual speech, and of high-pitched squeak of surprised happiness._

Great job Kyoko,_ I berated at myself. _This time, try using your words.

_I cleared my throat. "I...loveyoutoo," the words came out in a mumbled rush, growing quieter towards the end. I wasn't sure if they'd caught it at all, but when I peered up, both of them were grinning at me._

"_Cute..." I flushed red, and shifted nervously. The dress was still wet and was beginning to smell strongly of wine. When I looked up, they were both blushing, though they had nothing on how red I was. Kaoru grinned and placed a hand against the wood of the door behind me, bringing his face closer. _

"_You know we won't ever let you go now, right?"_

"_You belong to us now," Hikaru smirked. Their eyes were dark, and there was something possessive and feral in the way they had me pinned in place. All that mischievous, playful nature had melted and formed into this._

_I could feel myself reacting to it, to the newness. "I know," I replied softly, the words slipping out without thinking. "I don't want to go anywhere." _

* * *

oOo

* * *

Haruhi's stare was ultimately unimpressed. "And this is a problem...why exactly?"

"Honestly?" Kyoko looked up and propped her chin up on the girl's stomach. "It's not. It's just...Haruhi, they're my..." God, even _thinking_ the word was enough to send her blushing back to the sheltered darkness and security of her cousin's stomach, where her words were muffled but still loud enough for Haruhi to hear. "They're...m-my _boyfriends_ now. Oh god..."

She still didn't get it, but she could see that Kyoko was agitated about something. Haruhi reached out and stroked her hair. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes!" Kyoko looked up. "Yes, it is! I mean, I guess? I don't know? I've never had a boyfriend before, let alone two! What do you do with them? Am I supposed to do something? How do you take care of one? Do I feed them?"

"Don't you already feed them?"

"They like the stuff in my bento. That's beside the point! Haruhi!" She rolled over so she was staring up at her cousin's face. "Hold me, please. Maybe your dull, apathetic nature will relax me."

"Rude."

Kyoko flashed a grin up at her. "I love you," she said, but the words only caused her to flash back to the events of the previous night and she found herself blushing again. Was she never going to stop doing that?!

Haruhi sighed and patted her hair again. "You'll be fine," she told her cousin. "Hikaru and Kaoru already like you just the way you are. I don't think they'll expect some massive shift in your personality just because they confessed to you."

"Heh, you're right," Kyoko relaxed and smiled slightly. It would all be fine. The twins liked her the way she was, and she liked them the way they were. Who knows, maybe one say she'd get used to their way of making her heart feel like it wanted to escape her chest. The knot of worry and panic that had been building in her chest loosened. Her heart suddenly jumped when her phone made a quiet _ding _that indicated that a message had been received. Kyoko stayed lying down as she squinted at the message on the screen. It was from Kaoru.

_We're about to board the plane. We wish you were coming with us. Seeing you makes us happy. Hikaru and I don't get attached to people easily, but you're the best thing that ever happened to both of us._

_Love, Kaoru_

_I lied. I'll never get used to this. _"Kyoko? Kyoko?" Haruhi stared in bemusement as her cousin buried her face back in her shirt.


	47. Chapter 48

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story! I'm so glad so many people like it! **

**Disclaimer, disclaimer, etc. ya'll know how this goes.**

**Mother Knows Best**

"_I'm just saying, objectively the pink lingerie would look really good on her._"

"_Really? I think the blue set would be cute. They match her eyes._"

"_What about the one with black lace? Look at the stockings!_"

"_Hmmm, maybe we should just get all three?_"

"If you two perverts could stop talking like I'm not right here listening, that would be nice," Kyoko deadpanned, her face bright red, which probably looked very awkward since she was standing in front of the meat section of the supermarket. She quickly walked away. "Where even are you two?"

"_We went shopping and found a lingerie shop,_" She heard Hikaru reply cheefully through the speakers of her phone. There was a rustle of fabric, and she could almost see the grin on his face as he held up whatever it was he had found. "_How do you feel about corsets?_"

Kyoko choked on nothing, and ignored the wary look one another shopper's face. Why were they even looking at lingerie in the first place?! As far as she knew, guys usually only looked at sexy clothes and underwear for one reason and one reason alone.

Her face exploded with colour, and she shook her head frantically even though they couldn't see her. "No! Stop looking at that stuff!" There was a long, drawn out whine of disappointment, and she could almost see the pout on his face. "I mean it!" She insisted, grabbing a few cans of soup from the store shelf without looking at them.

"_Fine,_" she heard Hikaru sigh, and then his voice came through quieter as though he'd pulled the phone away from his face. "_Kaoru, she said no!_"

There was a muffled whine of disappointment from elsewhere in the shop, and then words in French. Kyoko wondered if they'd gotten a private showroom. She honestly wouldn't put it past them, and she was suddenly glad she'd turned down their invitation to go with them. Logically, she knew the twins would never pressure her into something she was genuinely uncomfortable doing, but Kyoko was wary of just how far she'd go for the two of them.

"_If we can't get you lingerie,_" Kaoru said through the phone as they left the store. "_Then what do you want as a present?_"

"I've told you, you don't have to get me anything," Kyoko sighed, but she couldn't stop the smile curving her lips. "I'm fine with anything, even chocolates." The saleswoman at the counter shot her a knowing smile as she counted out her purchases, and Kyoko blushed and busied herself counting out the money uncle Ryouji had given her for groceries.

Hikaru sighed in the background, and she heard muttering. "_Hikaru said you're really easy to please_," Kaoru told her, sounding amused.

"Am I?" She rolled her eyes as she collected the fabric bag she'd brought along to carry the grocery bags, and passed the money over the counter. "Just because I don't want fancy things? I feel like you're the ones that are easy to please."

"_Aw, we love you too._" She shivered at the words, exiting the store with a smile that she had to fight to bite back. The twins had never been shy about voicing their affection for her, but she still wasn't used to using those three magic words. They made her squirm and grin stupidly. Through the phone, she heard voices speaking in rapid French, and then Kaoru huffed. "_We have to go. Mom is meeting a fellow business partner for dinner and she wants us to be there._"

"Oh, okay," she kept forgetting that the time difference between Japan and France was quite large. "Bye!"

"_Bye!_" Kyoko pulled the phone from her ear when she heard the click and smiled at the screen that told her that they'd been talking for over half an hour. She then winced, wondering how much their must have cost.

She was in an embarrassingly good mood all the way home, hardly registering how heavy the bag was. Once she reached the door of their apartment, she grabbed the spare key from her pocket and unlocked it, all with great difficulty.

Without looking up from where she was trying to push the door shut with her hip while trying not to let the bag slip out of her hands, she called out, "Haruhi, this stuff is really heavy, so if you could come help me before I drop everything, then that would be great."

"I told you to take the trolley bag," Haruhi huffed as she grabbed several bags at random, and Kyoko sighed with relief. "Do you just like suffering?"

"I feel like you're insinuating something here."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kyoko scowled half-heartedly at her cousin's retreating back. She quickly toed off her shoes, and followed her to the kitchen. As she walked, she heard voices in the main room, and paused. One of the voices was clearly uncle Ryouji, but the other sounded painfully familiar, and she slowly shuffled over to peer into the room.

"MOM!" The bag of groceries hit the ground – gently though, damn what if there were eggs in there? – and she went flying into the older woman's arms.

The woman smiled, hugging back just as tightly. "Hello darling!" Kyoko's mother was short, though she was at least a good three inches taller than her daughter. Instead of Kyoko's long, wavy brown hair, hers was short and cut into a stylish but professional bob. Her lips were painted dark pink, and she was dressed in casual blue jeans and a green jumper.

Kyoko grinned, her emotions bubbling with wild happiness. She nuzzled into the jumper. "What are you doing here? I didn't even know you were coming!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise," she replied, studying her daughter. She was certainly looking healthy and happy. She patted the girl resolutely on the back. "Go put away the groceries, and then we can talk. I want you to tell me _all_ about school!"

Kyoko nodded excitedly, and grabbed the handle of the bag she'd abandoned on the floor. The second she entered the kitchen she attacked Haruhi, who had luckily taken the bag with the eggs. "_Did you know about this?!_"

"Did I know that aunt Kotone was coming over?" Haruhi asked dryly, placing the eggs into the fridge. "Yes. You know my dad is with secrets and surprises." Kyoko nodded. Uncle Ryouji was a gossip, as much as he tried not to blab so much he was still kind of bad at hiding secrets. "He made me promise not to tell you. It was meant to be a surprise."

Kyoko blinked at her. "A surprise?" She echoed.

Haruhi glanced at her over her shoulder. "Well you do look surprised, so it must have been a good one. Why did you get mushroom soup? You know I hate mushroom soup."

"The twins called," she replied, knowing that the pink flush on her cheeks was all the explanation needed. "I'll eat it."

"You will," Haruhi snorted, placing the tin into the cupboard. "At least you managed to grab some chicken soup. Come help me tidy up."

Once everything had been placed away, Kyoko ran back into the room and firmly attached herself under her mother's arm, reacquainting herself with the familiar scent her mother had always liked. She always smelled faintly floral, like she'd just stepped out of a greenhouse garden.

"So, Kyoko, how has school been? I know you've been doing well in your classes," Kotone stroked her hair affectionately. "Any friends you want to tell me about?"

Kyoko hummed, mentally debating whether or not to tell her mother about her friends. "Yeah, Haruhi introduced me to them!" Haruhi shot her pointed glare from across the room, and Kyoko stuck her tongue out.

Kotone caught the exchange, and smiled in amusement. "Oh? What are they like?"

"They're really nice," Kyoko replied, deciding that the news of the Host Club could wait. Preferably until her mother was firmly off Japanese soil. "Ouran is full of rich people, it's like they're from a totally different planet altogether!"

"They're all weirdly addicted to instant coffee," Haruhi added. "They like making Kyoko and I buy it for them."

Kotone frowned. "Not with your own money, right?"

"Of course not!" Kyoko snickered. "It's just funny. I mean, I didn't expect rich guys like them to love cheap coffee that much."

"Guys?" Kyoko could picture the expression on her mother's face without even looking, could see how high her brows had risen at that little slip of the tongue. She didn't want to lie to her mother, but she knew how strict she could be.

_Especially_ when it came to boys.

Uncle Ryouji laughed, trying to dispel whatever tension had started to gather. "They're lovely boys, Kotone! Except for that silly blonde, they're all very sweet!"

"Silly blonde?" Kotone asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"He means Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi explained laconically.

"Apart from him, the rest are all great," he waved a hand dismissively, his glitter-pink painted nails shimmering. The colour matched his skirt. "Especially the twins!" Kyoko froze before she could stop herself, something she was certain her mother had noticed.

Before Uncle Ryouji could begin talking about the twins, most likely going on to describe all the things they had bought for Kyoko, the cat strolled into the room. Kotone blinked at the feline bemusedly as it stalked over to the chair, and hopped onto Kyoko's lap. "Is that yours? You always wanted a cat."

Kyoko nodded, moving a hand to stroke the furry back. "Yes, I got her for my birthday."

"Oh? From who?" Kotone wondered, scratching the kitten under the chin. "What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one," Haruhi rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Kyoko can't settle on a name, so she doesn't have one. She just calls her whatever name she feels like at the moment. What name are we on now? Vanilla?"

The girl sniffed. "Vanilla was last week, her name right now is Princess Flufferbell. Now you have to call her that."

"Over my dead body."

"Please don't tell me you're actually going to name the poor cat that," Kotone laughed, and Kyoko heaved an internal sigh of relief that the subject had been changed. Her mother shifted, and Kyoko moved to let her stand and stretch. "Help me carry my bags?"

Ryouji jumped to his feet, clapping his hands together. "Oh yes! You'll be staying in my room! Haruhi, go help Kyoko pull down the spare futon!"

Her mother's bag was lighter than expected, and Kyoko a surge of sadness that her mom wouldn't be staying long. Still, it would be great to have her around even for a little while. There was a yelp behind her, and she quickly hurried over to stop the mattress from falling over and crushing Haruhi. "Oh thank god," the girl gasped, staggering under the weight of the heavy foam. The mattress hit the floor with a loud, dull _thump!_ "Do we have sheets for it?"

"I think there are some in our room," Kyoko replied, straightening. "I'll go see."

Their room was just a door down from Uncle Ryouji's, and Kyoko was surprised to see her mom inside when she stepped in. "Oh, hey mom..."

"Lovely people, huh?" Kyoko blinked, and then felt her heart thud heavily when her mother turned to face her, a picture between her fingers. It had been stuck to a corkboard on the wall with pins, and it was the picture she'd taken in Karuizawa with Hikaru. It was the only physical picture of one of the twins that she had, all the others were on her phone. The vast majority of them, especially the really incriminating ones, were on the twins' phones, and for that she was suddenly grateful. Kotone arched an eyebrow at her. "Who's this?"

"Um...that's Hikaru," she replied, trying for casual nonchalance, but she could hear how much smaller her voice had become. "He's one of the friends I was telling you about. He and his twin brother, Kaoru."

Kotone hummed, seeing how nervous her daughter had become. Her suspicions mounting, she eyed the picture again. "You look really cosy in this picture."

Kyoko shrugged, pleased when it came out more confident than she felt. "We're friends. Aren't we supposed to be comfortable with each other?"

"Not too comfortable," Kotone replied, catching the almost imperceptible hunching of shoulders. Deciding that this conversation could be carried out later, she replaced the picture, and turned back. Kyoko still looked wary, but her shoulders had relaxed. Kotone smiled brightly, erasing the tension in the air with a shrug. "Oh, don't look so nervous darling, you know how I am," she patted Kyoko's shoulder as she exited the room.

Just who were these twins to her daughter?


	48. Chapter 49

**This chapter is a little shorter than I would have liked tbh, but I felt like I'd left this story too long!**

**Romeo(s) and Juliet**

Dinner was a tense affair for Kyoko. The other three occupants of the room (four if you counted the cat) seemed perfectly content and at peace. Haruhi was serving herself another helping of noodles, while uncle Ryouji and her mother talked about something that had to do with make-up.

"Kyoko used to always ask me to put make up on her," Kotone laughed brightly. "I always used to tell her that she was too young, but now that she's old enough she doesn't seem to care anymore. I thought girls your age were all about that stuff..."

"Mama..."

"My bad," she waved her hand in apology. "I know you don't like being defined by things like gender. You're like Haruhi in that way." The mentioned girl looked up, the end of a slurped noodle disappearing into her mouth. "I'm curious though, don't you have any boys you're interested in?"

Kyoko froze, and then began to slurp her noodles at record speed so she couldn't answer. Uncle Ryouji clapped his hands together. "Oh, didn't she tell you? She has this wonderful pair of-_ow!_" Kyoko and Haruhi pulled their legs back from his shins, and fixed him with pointed glares.

Kotone blinked, looking around suspiciously. "Wonderful pair of...what?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Ah, r-right!" Uncle Ryouji waved his arms around as though to erase what he'd been talking about before. "She has a wonderful pair of um...shoes! That she got from a classmate on her birthday!"

"Shoes...?" Kyoko heaved a tiny sigh of relief. It wasn't perfect, but at least he hadn't blurted out anything about the twins. "That sounds nice darling, who were they from?"

"Oh...just some classmates," she replied vaguely, and then she shoved some more noodles into her mouth. Beside her, Haruhi sighed and did the same, although Kyoko suspected that her reason was different from her own. "You know how rich people are mama..."

Kotone sniffed. "I know. Don't get so mixed up with them Kyoko, especially not the boys. I don't want any of them thinking they suddenly own you just because we're not as well off as they are."

The girl hummed noncommittally through her noodles, and sighed internally. She knew where her mother was coming from, she really did, and maybe if her warning had come a few months earlier she could have better resisted the twins. Maybe. They were pretty charming...

Suddenly her phone rang, and she started. It was the special tune the twins had programmed her phone to play whenever they called! What were they doing calling _now_?! Her mother frowned in the direction of the ringing phone. "How rude...calling at dinnertime..."

"Y-Yeah, let me tell them to call back!" Kyoko jumped from her seat and ran to her room, grabbing her phone from the table on the way. As soon as she was in her room, she flipped it open and spoke before they could. "I'm so glad you called!"

"_What's wrong? You sound worried._"

"You know how I told you guys about my mom? Wait, did I even do that?" She shook her head and peered outside her door to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Satisfied by the empty hallway, she hopped onto her bed and curled up around her pillow. "My mom's here."

"_Isn't that a good thing?_" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, it is, I've missed her a lot," Kyoko covered her eyes with her free hand. "But we can't talk while she's here."

"_What!?_" The sudden exclamation forced her to pull the phone away from her ears for a moment, and when she pulled it back she could hear someone speaking French in the background. "_What do you mean we can't talk to you while she's here?_"

"My mom doesn't...like me talking to boys," she replied. "She might punish me if she finds out I've been hiding my involvement in the Host Club, or do worse when she finds out I'm with both of you!"

"_By worse, you mean...?_"

"...she could pull me out of Ouran..." Again, she had to pull the phone from her ears at their exclamation. The person speaking French in the background sounded more irate this time. "Where are you two?"

"_We're at a cafe, but that's not important!_" Hikaru hissed. "_What do you mean she could pull you out of the school? Why would she do that, won't your dad be upset?_"

"My parents are divorced," she replied. "It's been my mom and I for a really long time, so maybe that's why she's really protective of me. I just...don't want to have to leave Ouran. I like it here..." _I like being around you, _the words went unsaid but she sensed that they understood.

The twins said nothing for a moment, and then breathed sighs of resignation. "_Fine, we understand. How long is she going to be staying for?_"

"I don't know, but she should be gone by the time school starts," Kyoko sat up and hugged the pillow to her chest. "I should go, you guys called while we were having dinner...I'm sorry I won't be able to come see you at the airport..."

"_It's okay,_" they replied at the same time. "_Kyoko?_" She hummed quietly in response. "_I love you._"

As always, the acknowledgement of affection made her heart skip a bit and her cheeks burn bright. "I...Iloveyoutoo!" She quickly cut the line, and stared down at the glowing screen with wide eyes. She wanted to bury her face in her pillows and squeal, but she could hear footsteps coming towards the door. ]

She quickly locked her phone and opened the door to the room, stepping out just as Haruhi turned the corner. Her cousin stared at her blankly. "You might want to do something about how red your face is."

* * *

oOo

* * *

While the twins did take her warning about not calling her to heart, that didn't stop them from contacting her. They sent text message after text message, with pictures attached when they could. It was sweet, she decided as she stared at the picture of Kaoru eying a mannequin critically, and she wished it didn't cost so much to contact people outside the country.

On the day they were supposed to get back, Kyoko noticed herself spacing out more than usual. She kept worrying about whether the flight would be alright, if they'd get sick, what time they would arrive, etc. She couldn't wait for them to finally be home, even if she wouldn't see them.

Her mother bopped her on the head after her fifth time drifting off, and laughed. "Honestly Kyoko, it's like you're waiting for your lover to return to you!"

"N-No! I-It's nothing like that! Mama!"

She hated lying to her mom, but what other choice did she have? Sure she could tell to truth, but there were too many unknown variables for her to calculate a good outcome, and the most likely result would probably be her mom booking her a ticket asap and dragging her back to England.

"I don't think aunt Kotone is that unreasonable," Haruhi deadpanned while they were watching TV.

"Haruhi, where do you think I get_ my_ stubbornness from?" Kyoko rolled her eyes. "It's definitely not from my dad."

"I just feel like you're jumping to the worst possible conclusion," Haruhi replied, her voice softening slightly. "Your mom loves you. She'd listen to you if you explained yourself."

"And if she doesn't?" Kyoko snapped, her temper flaring. "What if she doesn't? What if she just gets angry and yells at me for lying? I don't want to give that outcome even a chance of occurring! My mom isn't like uncle Ryouji! She's not _that _easy-going. She's not going to be mildly annoyed finding a guy on top of me, she'd kill the guy, and then she might kill me!" Just like that, her anger dissipated and she drooped. "Just let me handle this...please...I don't want to have to leave Japan..."

Haruhi stared at her silently, and then sighed and looked away. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I hope I know what I'm doing too..."

* * *

oOo

* * *

At least now she knew the twins had arrived home safely, because on her way out of the supermarket the very next day a black car stopped in front of her and arms yanked her into the dim interior. Honestly this had happened so many times that she was becoming desensitized to it. One of these days she was going to really get kidnapped, and then what would she do?

Luckily, today was not that day, as she was pulled across two laps and the door was slammed shut, plunging the car back into dim darkness. "What are you two doing?!" She hissed, struggling to sit up. "I thought I told you what was going on!"

"You did," Hikaru nodded.

"But we missed you. So we figured..."

"...we'd come see you..."

"...just for a little while." Lips landed on her forehead, and then she was manoeuvred over so that she was half-lying, half-sitting in front of someone. Hikaru. His hands gripped her waist and pulled her more firmly against him, peppering kisses over the back of her neck. "We missed you so much..."

Kaoru did the same to her face, causing her to giggle. "Did you miss us? You didn't find someone else to replace us with, did you?"

She rolled her eyes in the shadows. "Like I could," she huffed. "You'd just scare them off like you do with every other guy."

They had the nerve to act affronted. "We would never!" "What do you take us for?"

"Oh yeah? Saizo, Kasanoda, that guy at the restaurant," she smiled and looped her arms around Kaoru's neck, pulling him closer. She then leaned back against Hikaru. "Face it, you're both possessive little masters."

"Hmm?"They hummed simultaneously, and Kyoko felt the sudden surge of flirtatious confidence fall away. "I guess that could be true. We can't help it though," Hikaru wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and spoke directly into her ear. "You're too cute for just anyone to have."

Kaoru dipped his head and nuzzled the tender spot just under her jaw. "Aren't you possessive over us too? You'd hate it if we acted friendly with another girl, wouldn't you?" He nipped lightly, and she squirmed. It was true, she would hate it if the twins acted friendly with another girl. She liked being the centre of their attention, and that sometimes made her feel selfish.

It was fine though, since they were the centre of her attention, and she didn't want to ever lose that. Maybe lying to her mother wasn't the best idea she'd ever had, but if it meant she never had to lose this then she could do it. Class differences or no, the twins weren't just 'boys' to her.


	49. Chapter 50

**Haha, look at me with my 2 month late chapters and dumb writer's block episodes. Enjoy!**

**How Do You Keep a Secret?**

Kyoko's plan had been simple: just keep the twins away from her mother. This included any and all pictures whether incriminating or not, mentioning them in casual conversations, and especially not letting her meet them at any potential point in time.

The first two were relatively difficult, she hadn't realised just how much time she spent with them and how big of a part they played in her life even if they weren't her current boyfriends (god that title still made her blush like hell), but she had expected the third to be much easier.

After all, her mother was supposed to be gone a few days after Christmas, and that wasn't too far off. Besides, Kyoko loved her mother to bits. She was an only child, so it had been just the two of them for as long as she could remember. All she needed to do was just needed to last until then and she would be home free.

Halfway through her mother's visit, a week before Christmas, Haruhi's phone rang while the two of them were switching between books and whatever happened to be on TV. Kyoko glanced over curiously as her cousin flipped open the phone and answered the call in a dull manner, suggesting that she already knew who the caller was.

Ten minutes later, she forcefully snapped the phone shut. "That was Tamaki," she summarised. "Apparently since everyone seems to be back from their vacations for some reason, he wants to get the whole club together to make Christmas cookies or something."

"The whole club?" Kyoko echoed, briefly losing her place in her book. "Where does he even want to do this?"

"Well, at first he wanted to come over to our place-" Kyoko squawked in panic, "-but I said no, so he said we could do it at his place instead."

She relaxed marginally. "Oh...that's good..." her mind immediately went to the twins. She had been incredibly disappointed when she realised that her current situation meant that she couldn't go and meet them at the airport the day that'd come back. In an out of character move for her, she'd spent most of the day sitting alone daydreaming about how their reunion might have gone – or maybe it _was_ in character, she wouldn't know, she'd never had a boyfriend or girlfriend to compare.

At any rate, her melancholy had been so obvious that her mother and uncle had both wondered if she was sick that day.

Haruhi resettled herself beside her cousin, and picked up the remote to channel surf. "So how do you plan on keeping this a secret? Are we going to go or not?"

"Go where?" The two girls jumped and turned around with varying degrees of guilt. Kotone leaned against the doorframe and looked between the two of them curiously over the rim of her coffee cup. "Seriously, where are you going, and why do you both look so suspicious?"

"Um..." Kyoko glanced quickly at Haruhi, then back at her mother. "Uh, our club leader just called and they want us to come over tomorrow to make Christmas cookies," she tried out the words. It was technically the truth so it didn't make her feel so bad.

Kotone nodded thoughtfully, and took a sip of her drink. "Well I don't see why not," she replied easily, and Kyoko heaved an imperceptible sigh of relief. "You never did mention what your club was though, did you?"

Kyoko panicked for a second. "It's a uh...social club!" Well that wasn't _quite_ a lie. "We drink tea and discuss lots of different topics together!"

"Oh, now doesn't _that_ sound intellectual and fancy," Kotone chuckled, and Kyoko dredged up a smile to match. "Well like I said, I don't see why you both can't go. Do you need a ride there?"

Kyoko squeaked. "Nope, we can make it ourselves!"

"Are you sure?" Her mother arched an eyebrow, and Kyoko knew she was pushing it now. "The news said that it's going to snow a lot tomorrow. I don't want the two of you coming down with colds. Besides, I may as well see how all these super rich people live, right?"

There was no help for it. "Right..." Kyoko gave a half-hearted chuckle that her mother apparently didn't notice or ignored. Once she was out of the room, Kyoko gave a loud, drawn-out groan and flopped over onto her back, throwing an arm over her eyes.

Haruhi hummed and settled on a nature documentary channel depicting a spider lying in wait to catch some unsuspecting insect. She then rolled onto her side to face Kyoko. "So...what now?"

"Uuughhhh..."

"You could just tell her the truth."

"UUUUGHHHHH..."

"Or you could keep groaning while plotting some elaborate way to keep your mom from realising that we're in an all-male club that entertains female students, and that you're dating two of them at the same time."

Kyoko lifted her arm to glare at her cousin balefully. "You know Haruhi, you could stand to be a bit more helpful. This is a serious situation."

"I know," Haruhi replied, shifting closer to her so that their legs were touching. Kyoko immediately curled their limbs together, and Haruhi didn't pull away even though Kyoko's legs were cold. "I am. Those were my very serious suggestions, because there are only two ways this can play out."

Kyoko arched an eyebrow in an expression that was very reminiscent of her mother. "And those are?"

"One," Haruhi held up a finger. "You tell your mom the truth-"

"I already don't like this plan."

"Shut up. You tell your mom the truth, and sure she gets mad, but she recognises why you were attempting to hide it and you both talk it out and apologise without anyone getting too badly hurt."

"And the other option?"

Haruhi sighed. "Two, you _don't _tell your mom the truth but she finds out in some way, either we slip up, or through a school letter – the principal _is _Tamaki's father – or some other means. She gets angry, you get upset, and everything goes to hell."

"You're forgetting the third where I tell her and everything goes to hell because you're not listening to me when I say that my mom is _really, really stubborn!_" Kyoko hissed angrily because shouting or even raising her voice wasn't an option. "I know my mom, okay? We just have to get through tomorrow and we should be fine."

Haruhi sighed. "And what if she does find out at some later date? She'll be back in England by then, or some other place, you may not be able to explain things properly over the phone."

"My dearest cousin, your optimism and faith is astounding," Kyoko scowled at her. Haruhi stared back, wholly unfazed, until Kyoko finally capitulated with a loud growl. "...fine, _fine!_ I'll tell her!" Kyoko scowled and rolled over so she could hunch over and cuddle against Haruhi's chest. "When we get back from Tamaki's place tomorrow, I'll tell her. But if _anything _goes wrong, I'm blaming you!"

"Yeah, sure, now let's watch this documentary on scorpions."

* * *

oOo

* * *

As much as she had dreaded it the day before, Kyoko was kind of glad her mother had insisted on driving them to Tamaki's place, the directions to which she'd gotten from Kyouta because Tamaki's version had been far too long and convoluted and had included a shopping list of things he wanted from the convenience store.

It had snowed copiously that morning, and while it had stopped snowing then, the streets were still icy and they'd have been ankle-deep in the stuff if they'd tried walking.

The address took them to a well-kept street lined with large houses, each designed in gratuitously artistic ways, from French rococo to Greco-Roman architecture. Kotone whistled as they passed a house with an 11ft tall marble statue of a mermaid in a fountain. "And your club leader lives around here?"

"Uh huh," Kyoko chirped, nearly bouncing in her seat from nerves and excitement. Nervous excitement. "Just a few more houses over, I think."

Finally they reached a huge mansion with several balconies and large windows. It looked very much like a large French chateau. Kyoko wondered if her mother was feeling vaguely intimidated by the size and opulence of the architecture, though she doubted it. Her mother rarely felt out of her depth, and if she did she had once confided in Kyoko that she usually turned any lingering feelings of inadequacy into determined anger.

This was another reason she was dreading confessing later, but she was trying not to think about that.

They drove up to the gate where a security guard ascertained that they'd been personally invited by the master of the mansion, and then let them through. Kotone drove up the gravel driveway to the front door, and stopped there. She then turned around to face the girls in the back.

"Call me when you want to come home," she instructed. "If you don't call by 7 I'm coming to pick you up anyway. You both packed aprons, right?" They both nodded. "Good. Don't make a mess, and make sure to clean up after yourselves, okay? Alright, you can go!"

"Bye aunty!" Haruhi pushed open the car door and hopped out. Kyoko followed after, stopping only to kiss her mom on the cheek.

"Mama, there's something I want to tell you," she said quickly. "I'll tell you when I get back, okay?" She kissed her mother again. "I love you mom, bye!"

Kotone waved at her. "I love you too darling! Have fun!"

**I was hoping to feature the twins or at least another member of the Host Club in this chapter but wow guess who sucks at planning and writing out things boy howdy am I a mess hahahaplsforgiveme **


End file.
